System and Method for Synchronizing Operations Among a Plurality of Independently Clocked Digital Data Processing Devices

ABSTRACT

A system is described for maintaining synchrony of operations among a plurality of devices that have independent clocking arrangements. The system includes a task distribution device that distributes tasks to a synchrony group comprising a plurality of devices that are to perform the tasks distributed by the task distribution device in synchrony. The task distribution device distributes each task to the members of the synchrony group over a network. Each task is associated with a time stamp that indicates a time, relative to a clock maintained by the task distribution device, at which the members of the synchrony group are to execute the task. Each member of the synchrony group periodically obtains from the task distribution device an indication of the current time indicated by its clock, determines a time differential between the task distribution device&#39;s clock and its respective clock and determines therefrom a time at which, according to its respective clock, the time stamp indicates that it is to execute the task.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

This application claims the benefit of Provisional Patent ApplicationSer. No. 60/490,768, filed on Jul. 28, 2003, entitled “Method forSynchronizing Audio Playback Between Multiple Networked Devices,” andNon-provisional patent application Ser. No. 10/816,217, filed on Apr. 1,2004, entitled “System and Method for Synchronizing Channel Handoff asAmong a Plurality of Independently Clocked Digital Devices,” both ofwhich are assigned to the assignee of the present application and areincorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the field of digital dataprocessing devices, and more particularly to systems and methods forsynchronizing operations among a plurality of independently-clockeddigital data processing devices. The invention is embodied in a systemfor synchronizing operations among a plurality of devices, in relationto information that is provided by a common source. One embodiment ofthe invention enables synchronizing of audio playback as among two ormore audio playback devices that receive audio information from a commoninformation source, or channel.

More generally, the invention relates to the field of arrangements thatsynchronize output generated by a number of output generators, includingaudio output, video output, combinations of audio and video, as well asother types of output as will be appreciated by those skilled in theart, provided by a common channel. Generally, the invention will findutility in connection with any type of information for which synchronyamong independently-clocked devices is desired.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are a number of circumstances under which it is desirable tomaintain synchrony of operations among a plurality ofindependently-clocked digital data processing devices in relation to,for example, information that is provided thereto by a common source.For example, systems are being developed in which one audio informationsource can distribute audio information in digital form to a number ofaudio playback devices for playback. The audio playback devices receivethe digital information and convert it to analog form for playback. Theaudio playback devices may be located in the same room or they may bedistributed in different rooms in a residence such as a house or anapartment, in different offices in an office building, or the like. Forexample, in a system installed in a residence, one audio playback devicemay be located in a living room, while another audio playback device isbe located in a kitchen, and yet other audio playback devices may belocated in various bedrooms of a house. In such an arrangement, theaudio information that is distributed to various audio playback devicesmay relate to the same audio program, or the information may relate todifferent audio programs. If the audio information source provides audioinformation relating to the same audio program to two or more audioplayback devices at the same time, the audio playback devices willgenerally contemporaneously play the same program. For example, if theaudio information source provides audio information to audio playbackdevices located in the living room and kitchen in a house at the sametime, they will generally contemporaneously play the same program.

One problem that can arise is to ensure that, if two or more audioplayback devices are contemporaneously attempting to play back the sameaudio program, they do so simultaneously. Small differences in the audioplayback devices' start times and/or playback speeds can be perceived bya listener as an echo effect, and larger differences can be veryannoying. Differences can arise because for a number of reasons,including delays in the transfer of audio information over the network.Such delays can differ as among the various audio playback devices for avariety of reasons, including where they are connected into the network,message traffic and other reasons as will be apparent to those skilledin the art.

Another problem arises from the following. When an audio playback deviceconverts the digital audio information from digital to analog form, itdoes so using a clock that provides timing information. Generally, theaudio playback devices that are being developed have independent clocks,and, if they are not clocking at precisely the same rate, the audioplayback provided by the various devices can get out of synchronization.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides a new and improved system and method forsynchronizing operations among a number of digital data processingdevices that are regulated by independent clocking devices. Generally,the invention will find utility in connection with any type ofinformation for which synchrony among devices connected to a network isdesired. The invention is described in connection with a plurality ofaudio playback devices that receive digital audio information that is tobe played back in synchrony, but it will be appreciated that theinvention can find usefulness in connection with any kind of informationfor which coordination among devices that have independent clockingdevices would find utility.

In brief summary, the invention provides, in one aspect, a system formaintaining synchrony of operations among a plurality of devices thathave independent clocking arrangements. The system includes a taskdistribution device that distributes tasks to a synchrony groupcomprising a plurality of devices that are to perform the tasksdistributed by the task distribution device in synchrony. The taskdistribution device distributes each task to the members of thesynchrony group over a network. Each task is associated with a timestamp that indicates a time, relative to a clock maintained by the taskdistribution device, at which the members of the synchrony group are toexecute the task. Each member of the synchrony group periodicallyobtains from the task distribution device an indication of the currenttime indicated by its clock, determines a time differential between thetask distribution device's clock and its respective clock and determinestherefrom a time at which, according to its respective clock, the timestamp indicates that it is to execute the task.

In one embodiment, the tasks that are distributed include audioinformation for an audio track that is to be played by all of thedevices comprising the synchrony group synchronously. The audio track isdivided into a series of frames, each of which is associated with a timestamp indicating the time, relative to the clock maintained by an audioinformation channel device, which, in that embodiment, serves as thetask distribution device, at which the members of the synchrony groupare to play the respective frame. Each member of the synchrony group,using a very accurate protocol, periodically obtains the time indicatedby the audio information channel device, and determines a differentialbetween the time as indicated by its local clock and the audioinformation channel device's clock. The member uses the differential andthe time as indicated by the time stamp to determine the time, relativeto its local clock, at which it is to play the respective frame. Themembers of the synchrony group do this for all of the frames, andaccordingly are able to play the frames in synchrony.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

This invention is pointed out with particularity in the appended claims.The above and further advantages of this invention may be betterunderstood by referring to the following description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 schematically depicts an illustrative networked audio system,constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 schematically depicts a functional block diagram of a synchronygroup utilizing a plurality of zone players formed within the networkedaudio system depicted in FIG. 1;

FIG. 2A schematically depicts two synchrony groups, illustrating how amember of one synchrony group can provide audio information to themembers of another synchrony group;

FIG. 3 depicts an functional block diagram of a zone player for use inthe networked audio system depicted in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is useful in understanding an digital audio information framingmethodology useful in the network audio system depicted in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 depicts an illustrative network audio system 10 constructed inaccordance with the invention. With reference to FIG. 1, the networkaudio system 10 includes a plurality of zone players 11(1) through 11(N)(generally identified by reference numeral 11(n)) interconnected by alocal network 12, all of which operate under control of one or more userinterface modules generally identified by reference numeral 13. One ormore of the zone players 11(n) may also be connected to one or moreaudio information sources, which will generally be identified herein byreference numeral 14(n)(s), and/or one or more audio reproductiondevices, which will generally be identified by reference numeral15(n)(r). In the reference numeral 14(n)(s), index “n” refers to theindex “n” of the zone player 11(n) to which the audio information sourceis connected, and the index “s” (s=1, . . . , S_(n)) refers to the“s-th” audio information source connected to that “n-th” zone player11(n). Thus, if, for example, a zone player 11(n) is connected to fouraudio information sources 14(n)(1) through 14(n)(4), the audioinformation sources may be generally identified by reference numeral14(n)(s), with S_(n)=4. It will be appreciated that the number of audioinformation sources S_(n) may vary as among the various zone players11(n), and some zone players may not have any audio information sourcesconnected thereto. Similarly, in the reference numeral 15(n)(r), index“n” refers to the index “n” of the zone player 11(n) to which the audioreproduction device is connected, and the index “r” (r=1, . . . , R_(n))refers to the “r-th” audio information source connected to that “n-th”zone player 11(n). In addition to the audio information sources14(n)(s), the network audio system 10 may include one or more audioinformation sources 16(1) through 16(M) connected through appropriatenetwork interface devices (not separately shown) to the local network12. Furthermore, the local network may include one or more networkinterface devices (also not separately shown) that are configured toconnect the local network 12 to other networks, including a wide areanetwork such as the Internet, the public switched telephony network(PSTN) or other networks as will be apparent to those skilled in theart, over which connections to audio information sources may beestablished.

The zone players 11(n) associated with system 10 may be distributedthroughout an establishment such as residence, an office complex, ahotel, a conference hall, an amphitheater or auditorium, or other typesof establishments as will be apparent to those skilled in the art or thelike. For example, if the zone players 11(n) and their associated audioinformation source(s) and/or audio reproduction device(s) aredistributed throughout a residence, one, such as zone player 11(1) andits associated audio information source(s) and audio reproductiondevice(s) may be located in a living room, another may be located in akitchen, another may be located in a dining room, and yet others may belocated in respective bedrooms, to selectively provide entertainment inthose rooms. On the other hand, if the zone players 11(n) and theirassociated audio information source(s) and/or audio reproductiondevice(s) are distributed throughout an office complex, one may, forexample, be provided in each office to selectively provide entertainmentto the employees in the respective offices. Similarly, if the zoneplayers 11(n) and associated audio information source(s) and/or audioreproduction device(s) are used in a hotel, they may be distributedthroughout the rooms to provide entertainment to the guests. Similararrangements may be used with zone players 11(n) and associated audioinformation source(s) and/or audio reproduction device(s) used in anamphitheater or auditorium. Other arrangements in other types ofenvironments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. In each case,the zone players 11(n) can be used to selectively provide entertainmentin the respective locations, as will be described below.

The audio information sources 14(n)(s) and 16(m) may be any of a numberof types of conventional sources of audio information, including, forexample, compact disc (“CD”) players, AM and/or FM radio receivers,analog or digital tape cassette players, analog record turntables andthe like. In addition, the audio information sources 14(n)(s) and 16(m)may comprise digital audio files stored locally on, for example,personal computers (PCs), personal digital assistants (PDAs), or similardevices capable of storing digital information in volatile ornon-volatile form. As noted above, the local network 12 may also have aninterface (not shown) to a wide area network, over which the networkaudio system 10 can obtain audio information. Moreover, one or more ofthe audio information sources 14(n)(s) may also comprise an interface toa wide area network such as the Internet, the public switched telephonynetwork (PSTN) or any other source of audio information. In addition,one or more of the audio information sources 14(n)(s) and 16(m) maycomprise interfaces to radio services delivered over, for example,satellite. Audio information obtained over the wide area network maycomprise, for example, streaming digital audio information such asInternet radio, digital audio files stored on servers, and other typesof audio information and sources as will be appreciated by those skilledin the art. Other arrangements and other types of audio informationsources will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Generally, the audio information sources 14(n)(s) and 16(m) provideaudio information associated with audio programs to the zone players forplayback. A zone player that receives audio information from an audioinformation source 14(n)(s) that is connected thereto can provideplayback and/or forward the audio information, along with playbacktiming information, over the local network 12 to other zone players forplayback. Similarly, each audio information source 16(m) that is notdirectly connected to a zone player can transmit audio information overthe network 12 to any zone player 11(n) for playback. In addition, aswill be explained in detail below, the respective zone player 11(n) cantransmit the audio information that it receives either from an audioinformation source 14(n)(s) connected thereto, or from an audioinformation source 16(m), to selected ones of the other zone players11(n′), 11(n″), . . . (n not equal to n′, n″, . . . ) for playback bythose other zone players. The other zone players 11(n′), 11(n″), . . .to which the zone player 11(n) transmits the audio information forplayback may be selected by a user using the user interface module 13.In that operation, the zone player 11(n) will transmit the audioinformation to the selected zone players 11(n′), 11(n″), . . . over thenetwork 12. As will be described below in greater detail, the zoneplayers 11(n), 11(n′), 11(n″), . . . operate such that the zone players11(n′), 11(n″), . . . synchronize their playback of the audio programwith the playback by the zone player 11(n), so that the zone players11(n), 11(n′), 11(n″) provide the same audio program at the same time.

Users, using user interface module 13, may also enable differentgroupings or sets of zone players to provide audio playback of differentaudio programs synchronously. For example, a user, using a userinterface module 13, may enable zone players 11(1) and 11(2) to play oneaudio program, audio information for which may be provided by, forexample, one audio information source 14(1)(1). The same or a differentuser may, using the same or a different user interface module 13, enablezone players 11(4) and 11(5) to contemporaneously play another audioprogram, audio information for which may be provided by a second audioinformation source, such as audio information source 14(5)(2). Further,a user may enable zone player 11(3) to contemporaneously play yetanother audio program, audio information for which may be provided byyet another audio information source, such as audio information source16(1). As yet another possibility, a user may contemporaneously enablezone player 11(1) to provide audio information from an audio informationsource connected thereto, such as audio information source 14(1)(2), toanother zone player, such as zone player 11(6) for playback.

In the following, the term-“synchrony group” will be used to refer to aset of one or more zone players that are to play the same audio programsynchronously. Thus, in the above example, zone players 11(1) and 11(2)comprise one synchrony group, zone player 11(3) comprises a secondsynchrony group, zone players 11(4) and 11(5) comprise a third synchronygroup, and zone player 11(6) comprises yet a fourth synchrony group.Thus, while zone players 11(1) and 11(2) are playing the same audioprogram, they will play the audio program synchronously. Similarly,while zone players 11(4) and 11(5) are playing the same audio program,they will play the audio program synchronously. On the other hand, zoneplayers that are playing different audio programs may do so withunrelated timings. That is, for example, the timing with which zoneplayers 11(1) and 11(2) play their audio program may have norelationship to the timing with which zone player 11(3), zone players11(4) and 11(5), and zone player 11(6) play their audio programs. Itwill be appreciated that, since “synchrony group” is used to refer tosets of zone players that are playing the same audio programsynchronously, zone player 11(1) will not be part of zone player 11(6)'ssynchrony group, even though zone player 11(1) is providing the audioinformation for the audio program to zone player 11(6).

In the network audio system 10, the synchrony groups are not fixed.Users can enable them to be established and modified dynamically.Continuing with the above example, a user may enable the zone player11(1) to begin providing playback of the audio program provided theretoby audio information source 14(1)(1), and subsequently enable zoneplayer 11(2) to join the synchrony group. Similarly, a user may enablethe zone player 11(5) to begin providing playback of the audio programprovided thereto by audio information source 14(5)(2), and subsequentlyenable zone player 11(4) to join that synchrony group. In addition, auser may enable a zone player to leave a synchrony group and possiblyjoin another synchrony group. For example, a user may enable the zoneplayer 11(2) to leave the synchrony group with zone player 11(1), andjoin the synchrony group with zone player 11(6). As another possibility,the user may enable the zone player 11(1) to leave the synchrony groupwith zone player 11(2) and join the synchrony group with zone player11(6). In connection with the last possibility, the zone player 11(1)can continue providing audio information from the audio informationsource 14(1)(1) to the zone player 11(2) for playback thereby.

A user, using the user interface module 13, can enable a zone player11(n) that is currently not a member of a synchrony group to join asynchrony group, after which it will be enabled to play the audioprogram that is currently being played by that synchrony group.Similarly, a user, also using the user interface module 13, can enable azone player 11(n) that is currently a member of one synchrony group, todisengage from that synchrony group and join another synchrony group,after which that zone player will be playing the audio programassociated with the other synchrony group. For example, if a zone player11(6) is currently not a member of any synchrony group, it, undercontrol of the user interface module 13, can become a member of asynchrony group, after which it will play the audio program being playedby the other members of the synchrony group, in synchrony with the othermembers of the synchrony group. In becoming a member of the synchronygroup, zone player 11(6) can notify the zone player that is the masterdevice for the synchrony group that it wishes to become a member of itssynchrony group, after which that zone player will also transmit audioinformation associated with the audio program, as well as timinginformation, to the zone player 11(6). As the zone player 11(6) receivesthe audio information and the timing information from the master device,it will play the audio information with the timing indicated by thetiming information, which will enable the zone player 11(6) to play theaudio program in synchrony with the other zone player(s) in thesynchrony group.

Similarly, if a user, using the user interface module 13, enables a zoneplayer 11(n) associated with a synchrony group to disengage from thatsynchrony group, and if the zone player 11(n) is not the master deviceof the synchrony group, the zone player 11(n) can notify the masterdevice, after which the master device can terminate transmission of theaudio information and timing information to the zone player 11(n). Ifthe user also enables the zone player 11(n) to begin playing anotheraudio program using audio information from an audio information source14(n)(s) connected thereto, it will acquire the audio information fromthe audio information source 14(n)(s) and initiate playback thereof. Ifthe user enables another zone player 11(n′) to join the synchrony groupassociated with zone player 11(n), operations in connection therewithcan proceed as described immediately above.

As yet another possibility, if a user, using the user interface module13, enables a zone player 11(n) associated with a synchrony group todisengage from that synchrony group and join another synchrony group,and if the zone player is not the master device of the synchrony groupfrom which it is disengaging, the zone player 11(n) can notify themaster device of the synchrony group from which it is disengaging, afterwhich that zone player will terminate transmission of audio informationand timing information to the zone player 11(n) that is disengaging.Contemporaneously, the zone player 11(n) can notify the master device ofthe synchrony group that it (that is, zone player 11(n)) is joining,after which the master device can begin transmission of audioinformation and timing information to that zone player 11(n). The zoneplayer 11(n) can thereafter begin playback of the audio program definedby the audio information, in accordance with the timing information sothat the zone player 11(n) will play the audio program in synchrony withthe master device.

As yet another possibility, a user, using the user interface module 13,may enable a zone player 11(n) that is not associated with a synchronygroup, to begin playing an audio program using audio informationprovided to it by an audio information source 14(n)(s) connectedthereto. In that case, the user, also using the user interface module 13or a user interface device that is specific to the audio informationsource 14(n)(s), can enable the audio information source 14(n)(s) toprovide audio information to the zone player 11(n). After the zoneplayer 11(n) has begun playback, or contemporaneously therewith, theuser, using the user interface module 13, can enable other zone players11(n′), 11(n″), . . . to join zone player 11(n)'s synchrony group andenable that zone player 11(n) to transmit audio information and timinginformation thereto as described above, to facilitate synchronousplayback of the audio program by the other zone players 11(n′), 11(n″) .. . .

A user can use the user interface module 13 to control other aspects ofthe network audio system 10, including but not limited to the selectionof the audio information source 14(n)(s) that a particular zone player11(n) is to utilize, the volume of the audio playback, and so forth. Inaddition, a user may use the user interface module 13 to turn audioinformation source(s) 14(n)(s) on and off and to enable them to provideaudio information to the respective zone players 11(n).

Operations performed by the various devices associated with a synchronygroup will be described in connection with FIG. 2, which schematicallydepicts a functional block diagram of a synchrony group in the networkaudio system 10 described above in connection with FIG. 1. Withreference to FIG. 2, a synchrony group 20 includes a master device 21and zero or more slave devices 22(1) through 22 (G) (generallyidentified by reference numeral 22(g)), all of which synchronously playan audio program provided by an audio information channel device 23.Each of the master device 21, slave devices 22(g) and audio informationchannel device 23 utilizes a zone player 11(n) depicted in FIG. 1,although it will be clear from the description below that a zone playermay be utilized both for the audio information channel device for thesynchrony group 20, and the master device 21 or a slave device 22(g) ofthe synchrony group 20. As will be described below in more detail, theaudio information channel device 23 obtains the audio information forthe audio program from an audio information source, adds playback timinginformation, and transmits the combined audio and playback timinginformation to the master device 21 and slave devices 22(g) over thenetwork 12 for playback. The playback timing information that isprovided with the audio information, together with clock timinginformation provided by the audio information channel device 23 to thevarious devices 21 and 22(g) as will be described below, enables themaster device 21 and slave devices 22(g) of the synchrony group 20 toplay the audio information simultaneously.

The master device 21 and the slave devices 22(g) receive the audio andplayback timing information, as well as the clock timing information,that are provided by the audio information channel device 23, and playback the audio program defined by the audio information. The masterdevice 21 is also the member of the synchrony group 20 that communicateswith the user interface module 13 and that controls the operations ofthe slave devices 22(g) in the synchrony group 20. In addition, themaster device 21 controls the operations of the audio informationchannel device 23 that provides the audio and playback timinginformation for the synchrony group 20. Generally, the initial masterdevice 21 for the synchrony group will be the first zone player 11(n)that a user wishes to play an audio program. However, as will bedescribed below, the zone player 11(n) that operates as the masterdevice 21 can be migrated from one zone player 11(n) to another zoneplayer 11(n′), which preferably will be a zone player that is currentlyoperating as a slave device 22(g) in the synchrony group.

In addition, under certain circumstances, as will be described below,the zone player 11(n) that operates as the audio information channeldevice 23 can be migrated from one zone player to another zone player,which also will preferably will be a zone player that is currentlyoperating as a member of the synchrony group 20. It will be appreciatedthat the zone player that operates as the master device 21 can bemigrated to another zone player independently of the migration of theaudio information channel device 23. For example, if one zone player11(n) is operating as both the master device 21 and the audioinformation channel device 23 for a synchrony group 20, the masterdevice 21 can be migrated to another zone player 11(n′) while the zoneplayer 11(n) is still operating as the audio information channel device23. Similarly, if one zone player 11(n) is operating as both the masterdevice 21 and the audio information channel device 23 for a synchronygroup 20, the audio information channel device 23 can be migrated toanother zone player 11(n′) while the zone player 11(n) is stilloperating as the master device 21. In addition, if one zone player 11(n)is operating as both the master device 21 and the audio informationchannel device 23 for a synchrony group 20, the master device 21 can bemigrated to another zone player 11(n′) and the audio information channeldevice can be migrated to a third zone player 11(n″).

The master device 21 receives control information from the userinterface module 13 for controlling the synchrony group 20 and providesstatus information indicating the operational status of the synchronygroup to the user interface module 13. Generally, the controlinformation from the user interface module 13 enables the master device21 to, in turn, enable the audio information channel device 23 toprovide audio and playback timing information to the synchrony group toenable the devices 21 and 22(g) that are members of the synchrony group20 to play the audio program synchronously. In addition, the controlinformation from the user interface module 13 enables the master device21 to, in turn, enable other zone players to join the synchrony group asslave devices 22(g) and to enable slave devices 22(g) to disengage fromthe synchrony group. Control information from the user interface module13 can also enable the zone player 11(n) that is currently operating asthe master device 21 to disengage from the synchrony group, but prior todoing so that zone player will enable the master device 21 to transferfrom that zone player 11(n) to another zone player 11(n′), preferably toa zone player 11(n′) that is currently a slave device 22(g) in thesynchrony group 20. The control information from the user interfacemodule 13 can also enable the master device 21 to adjust its playbackvolume and to enable individual ones of the various slave devices 22(g)to adjust their playback volumes. In addition, the control informationfrom the user interface module 13 can enable the synchrony group 20 toterminate playing of a current track of the audio program and skip tothe next track, and to re-order tracks in a play list of tracks definingthe audio program that is to be played by the synchrony group 20.

The status information that the master device 21 may provide to the userinterface module 13 can include such information as a name or otheridentifier for the track of the audio work that is currently beingplayed, the names or other identifiers for upcoming tracks, theidentifier of the zone player 11(n) that is currently operating as themaster device 21, and identifiers of the zone players that are currentlyoperating as slave devices 22(g). In one embodiment, the user interfacemodule 13 includes a display (not separately shown) that can display thestatus information to the user.

It will be appreciated that the zone player 11(n) that is operating asthe audio information channel device 23 for one synchrony group may alsocomprise the master device 21 or any of the slave devices 22(g) inanother synchrony group. This may occur if, for example, the audioinformation source that is to provide the audio information that is tobe played by the one synchrony group is connected to a zone player alsobeing utilized as the master device or a slave device for the othersynchrony group. This will be schematically illustrated below inconnection with FIG. 2A. Since, as noted above, the zone player 11(n)that is operating as the audio information channel device 23 for thesynchrony group 20 may also be operating as a master device 21 or slavedevice 22(g) for another synchrony group, it can also be connected toone or more audio reproduction devices 15(n)(r), although that is notdepicted in FIG. 2. Since the master device 21 and slave devices 22(g)are all to provide playback of the audio program, they will be connectedto respective audio reproduction devices 15(n)(r). Furthermore, it willbe appreciated that one or more of the zone players 11(n) that operateas the master device 21 and slave devices 22(g) in synchrony group 20may also operate as an audio information channel device for thatsynchrony group or for another synchrony group and so they may beconnected to one or more audio information sources 14(n)(s), althoughthat is also not depicted in FIG. 2. In addition, it will be appreciatedthat a zone player 11(n) can also operate as a audio information channeldevice 23 for multiple synchrony groups.

If the audio information channel device 23 does not utilize the samezone player as the master device 21, the master device 21 controls theaudio information channel device by exchanging control information overthe network 12 with the audio information channel device 23. The controlinformation is represented in FIG. 2 by the arrow labeledCHAN_DEV_CTRL_INFO. The control information that the master device 21provides to the audio information channel device 23 will generallydepend on the nature of the audio information source that is to providethe audio information for the audio program that is to be played and theoperation to be enabled by the control information. If, for example, theaudio information source is a conventional compact disc, tape, or recordplayer, broadcast radio receiver, or the like, which is connected to azone player 11(n), the master device 21 may merely enable the zoneplayer serving as the audio information channel device 23 to receive theaudio information for the program from the audio information source. Itwill be appreciated that, if the audio information is not in digitalform, the audio information channel device 23 will convert it to digitalform and provide the digitized audio information, along with theplayback timing information, to the master device 21 and slave devices22(g).

On the other hand, if the audio information source is, for example, adigital data storage device, such as may be on a personal computer orsimilar device, the master device 21 can provide a play list to theaudio information channel device 23 that identifies one or more filescontaining the audio information for the audio program. In that case,the audio information channel device 23 can retrieve the files from thedigital data storage device and provide them, along with the playbacktiming information, to the master device 21 and the slave devices 22(g).It will be appreciated that, in this case, the audio information sourcemay be directly connected to the audio information channel device 23,as, for example, an audio information source 14(n)(s), or it maycomprise an audio information source 16(m) connected to the network 12.As a further alternative, if the audio information source is a sourceavailable over the wide area network, the master device 21 can provide aplay list comprising a list of web addresses identifying the filescontaining the audio information for the audio program that is to beplayed, and in that connection the audio information channel device 23can initiate a retrieval of the files over the wide area network. As yetanother alternative, if the audio information source is a source ofstreaming audio received over the wide area network, the master device21 can provide a network address from which the streaming audio can bereceived. Other arrangements by which the master device 21 can controlthe audio information channel device 23 will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art.

The master device 21 can also provide control information to thesynchrony group's audio information channel device 23 to enable amigration from one zone player 11(n) to another zone player 11(n′). Thismay occur if, for example, the audio information source is one of audioinformation sources 16 or a source accessible over the wide area networkvia the network 12. The master device 21 can enable migration of theaudio information channel device 23 for several reasons, including, forexample, to reduce the loading of the zone player 11(n), to improvelatency of message transmission in the network 12, and other reasons aswill be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

As noted above, the audio information channel device 23 provides audioand playback timing information for the synchrony group to enable themaster device 21 and slave devices 22(g) to play the audio programsynchronously. Details of the audio and playback timing information willbe described in detail below in connection with FIGS. 3 and 4, but, inbrief, the audio information channel device 23 transmits the audio andplayback timing information in messages over the network 12 using amulti-cast message transmission methodology. In that methodology, theaudio information channel device 23 will transmit the audio and playbacktiming information in a series of messages, with each message beingreceived by all of the zone players 11(n) comprising the synchrony group20, that is, by the master device 21 and the slave devices 22(g). Eachof the messages includes a multi-cast address, which the master device21 and slave devices 22(g) will monitor and, when they detect a messagewith that address, they will receive and use the contents of themessage. The audio and playback timing information is represented inFIG. 2 by the arrow labeled “AUD+PBTIME_INFO,” which has a single tail,representing a source for the information at the audio informationchannel device 23, and multiple arrowheads representing the destinationsof the information, with one arrowhead extending to the master device 21and other arrowheads extending to each of the slave devices 22(g) in thesynchrony group 20. The audio information channel device 23 may make useof any convenient multi-cast message transmission methodology intransmitting the audio and playback timing information to the synchronygroup 20. As will be described in detail in connection with FIG. 4, theaudio and playback timing information is in the form of a series offrames, with each frame having a time stamp. The time stamp indicates atime, relative to the time indicated by a clock maintained by the audioinformation channel device 23, at which the frame is to be played.Depending on the size or sizes of the messages used in the selectedmulti-cast message transmission methodology and the size or sizes of theframes, a message may contain one frame, or multiple frames, or,alternatively, a frame may extend across several messages.

The audio information channel device 23 also provides clock timeinformation to the master device 21 and each of the slave devices 22(g)individually over network 12 using a highly accurate clock timeinformation transmission methodology. The distribution of the clock timeinformation is represented in FIG. 2 by the arrows labeled “AICD_CLK_INF(M)” (in the case of the clock time information provided to the masterdevice 21) and “AICD_CLK_INF (S₁)” through “AICD_CLK_INF (S_(G))” (inthe case of audio information channel device clock information providedto the slave devices 22(g)). In one embodiment, the master device 21 andslave devices 22(g) make use of the well-known SNTP (Simple Network TimeProtocol) to obtain current clock time information from the audioinformation channel device 23. The SNTP makes use of a unicast messagetransfer methodology, in which one device, such as the audio informationchannel device 23, provides clock time information to a specific otherdevice, such as the master device 21 or a slave device 22(g), using theother device's network, or unicast, address. Each of the master device21 and slave devices 22(g) will periodically initiate SNTP transactionswith the audio information channel device 23 to obtain the clock timeinformation from the audio information channel device 23. As will bedescribed below in more detail, the master device 21 and each slavedevice 22(g) make use of the clock time information to determine thetime differential between the time indicated by the audio informationchannel device's clock and the time indicated by its respective clock,and use that time differential value, along with the playback timeinformation associated with the audio information and the respectivedevice's local time as indicated by its clock to determine when thevarious frames are to be played. This enables the master device 21 andthe slave devices 22(g) in the synchrony group 20 to play the respectiveframes simultaneously.

As noted above, the control information provided by the user to themaster device 21 through the user interface module 13 can also enablethe master device 21 to, in turn, enable another zone player 11(n′) tojoin the synchrony group as a new slave device 22(g). In that operation,the user interface module 13 will provide control information, includingthe identification of the zone player 11(n′) that is to join thesynchrony group to the master device 21. After it receives theidentification of the zone player 11(n′) that is to join the synchronygroup, the master device 21 will exchange control information, which isrepresented in FIG. 2 by the arrows labeled SLV_DEV_CTRL_INF (S₁)through SLV_DEV_CTRL_INF (S_(G)) group slave control information, overthe network 12 with the zone player 11(d) that is identified in thecontrol information from the user interface module 13. The controlinformation that the master device 21 provides to the new zone player11(n′) includes the network address of the zone player 11(n) that isoperating as the audio information channel device 23 for the synchronygroup, as well as the multi-cast address that the audio informationchannel device 23 is using to broadcast the audio and playback timinginformation over the network. The zone player that is to operate as thenew slave device 22(g′) uses the multi-cast address to begin receivingthe multi-cast messages that contain the audio information for the audioprogram being played by the synchrony group.

It will be appreciated that, if the zone player 11(n) that is operatingas the master device 21 for the synchrony group 20 is also operating theaudio information channel device 23, and if there are no slave devices22(g) in the synchrony group 20, the audio information channel device 23may not be transmitting audio and playback timing information over thenetwork. In that case, if the new slave device 22(g′) is the first slavedevice in the synchrony group, the zone player 11(n) that is operatingas both the master device 21 and audio information channel device 23,can begin transmitting the audio and playback timing information overthe network 12 when the slave device 22(g′) is added to the synchronygroup 20. The zone player 11(n) can maintain a count of the number ofslave devices 22(g) in the synchrony group 20 as they join anddisengage, and, if the number drops to zero, it can stop transmittingthe audio and playback timing information over the network 12 to reducethe message traffic over the network 12.

The new slave device 22(g′) added to the synchrony group 20 uses thenetwork address of the audio information channel device 23 for severalpurposes. In particular, the new slave device 22(g′) will, like themaster device 21 (assuming the zone player 11(n) operating as the masterdevice 21 is not also the audio information channel device 23), engagein SNTP transactions with the audio information channel device 23 toobtain the clock timing information from the audio information channeldevice 23. In addition, the new slave device 22(g′) can notify the audioinformation channel device 23 that it is a new slave device 22(g′) forthe synchrony group 20 and provide the audio information channel device23 with its network address. As will be described below, in oneembodiment, particularly in connection with audio information obtainedfrom a source, such as a digital data storage device, which can provideaudio information at a rate that is faster than the rate at which itwill be played, the audio information channel device 23 will bufferaudio and timing information and broadcast it over the network 12 to thesynchrony group 20 generally at a rate at which it is provided by thesource. Accordingly, when a new slave device 22(g′) joins the synchronygroup 20, the playback timing information may indicate that the audioinformation that is currently being broadcast by the audio informationchannel device 23 using the multi-cast methodology is to be played backsome time in the future. To reduce the delay with which the new slavedevice 22(g′) will begin playback, the audio information channel device23 can also retransmit previously transmitted audio and timinginformation that it had buffered to the new slave device 22(g′) usingthe unicast network address of the slave device 22(g′).

The master device 21 can also use the slave device control informationexchanged with the slave devices 22(g) for other purposes. For example,the master device 21 can use the slave device control information toinitiate a migration of the master from its zone player 11(n) to anotherzone player 11(n′). This may occur for any of a number of reasons,including, for example, that the master device 21 is terminatingplayback by it of the audio program and is leaving the synchrony group20, but one or more of the other devices in the synchrony group is tocontinue playing the audio program. The master device 21 may also wantto initiate a migration if it is overloaded, which can occur if, forexample, the zone player 11(n) that is the master device 21 for itssynchrony group is also operating as an audio information channel device23 for another synchrony group.

The user can also use the user interface module 13 to adjust playbackvolume by the individual zone players 11(n) comprising the synchronygroup. In that operation, the user interface module 13 providesinformation identifying the particular device whose volume is to beadjusted, and the level at which the volume is to be set to the masterdevice 21. If the device whose volume is to be adjusted is the masterdevice 21, the master device 21 can adjust its volume according to theinformation that it receives from the user interface module 13. On theother hand, if the device whose volume is to be adjusted is a slavedevice 22(g), the master device 21 can provide group slave controlinformation to the respective slave device 22(g), to enable it to adjustits volume.

The user can also use the user interface module 13 to enable a synchronygroup 20 to cancel playing of the track in an audio program that iscurrently being played, and to proceed immediately to the next track.This may occur, for example, if the tracks for the program is in theform of a series of digital audio information files, and the user wishesto cancel playback of the track that is defined by one of the files. Inthat case, when the master device 21 receives the command to cancelplayback of the current track, it will provide channel device controlinformation to the audio information channel device 23 so indicating. Inresponse, the audio information channel device 23 inserts controlinformation into the audio and playback timing information, which willbe referred to as a “resynchronize” command. In addition, the audioinformation channel device 23 will begin transmitting audio informationfor the next track, with timing information to enable it to be playedimmediately. The resynchronize command can also enable playback of atrack to be cancelled before it has been played. Details of theseoperations will be described below.

As noted above, there may be multiple synchrony groups in the networkaudio system 10, and further that, for example, a zone player 11(n) mayoperate both as a master device 21 or a slave device 22(g) in onesynchrony group, and as the audio information channel device 23providing audio and playback timing information and clock timinginformation for another synchrony group. An illustrative arrangement ofthis will be described in connection with FIG. 2A. With reference toFIG. 2A, that FIG. depicts elements of two synchrony groups, identifiedby reference numerals 20(1) and 20(2), respectively. For clarity, FIG.2A does not show a number of elements, the presence of which would beevident from FIGS. 1 and 2 as described above. For example, FIG. 2A doesnot depict the audio information sources from which audio information isobtained for the synchrony groups or the audio reproduction devices thatare used to produce sound for the master and slave devices, which aredepicted in both FIGS. 1 and 2. In addition, FIG. 2A does not depictarrows that represent control information provided by the respectivemaster devices to the slave devices in the respective synchrony groups,or to the audio information channel devices that provide audio andtiming information for the respective synchrony groups, which aredepicted in FIG. 2. In addition, FIG. 2A does not depict the arrows thatrepresent the clock timing information provided by the audio informationchannel devices to the respective members of the respective synchronygroups, which are also depicted in FIG. 2. As will be noted below,however, FIG. 2A does depict arrows representing the audio and playbacktiming information provided by the respective audio information channeldevices for the respective synchrony groups 20(1), 20(2), to the masterand slave devices comprising the respective synchrony groups 20(1),20(2).

Each synchrony group 20(1), 20(2) comprises elements of a number of zoneplayers. A functional block diagram of a zone player will be describedbelow in connection with FIG. 3. Synchrony group 20(1) includes a masterdevice 21(1) and “K” slave devices 22(1)(1) through 22(K)(1) (the index“1” in reference numeral 21(1) and the last index in reference numeral22(1)(1) through 21(K)(1) corresponds to the index of the synchronygroup 20(1) to which they belong) utilize zone players 11(1) and 11(K+1)respectively. Similarly, synchrony group 20(2) includes a master device21(2) and “L” slave devices 22(1)(2) through 22(L)(2) that utilize zoneplayers 11(K+2) through 11(K+L+2). In the illustrative arrangementdepicted in FIG. 2A, both synchrony groups 20(1) and 20(2) arecontrolled by the user interface module 13, which can provide controlinformation to, and receive status information from, the master devices21(1) and 21(2) independently. It will be appreciated that separate userinterface modules may be provided to provide control information to, andreceive status information from, the respective master devices 21(1),21(2).

As noted above, the slave device 22(1)(2) in synchrony group 20(2)utilizes zone player 11(K+3). In the illustrative arrangement depictedin FIG. 2A, the audio information channel device 23(1) that providesaudio and playback timing information to the master and slave devices21(1), 22(1)(1), . . . , 22(K)(1) of synchrony group 20(1) also utilizeszone player 11(K+3). As noted above, this may occur if, for example, theaudio information source that is to provide audio information to beplayed by the synchrony group 20(1) is connected to the zone player11(K+3). Thus, when the master device 21(1) of synchrony group 20(1)exchanges channel device control information with the audio informationchannel device 23(1), it is effectively exchanging channel devicecontrol information with the zone player 11(K+3). Similarly, when themaster and slave devices 21(1), 22(1)(1), . . . , 22(K)(1) of synchronygroup 20(1) receive audio and playback timing information, as well asclock timing information, from the audio information channel device23(1), they are effectively receiving the information from the zoneplayer 11(K+3). FIG. 2A depicts a multi-headed arrow representing audioand playback timing information transmitted by the zone player 11(K+3),as audio information channel device 23(1), to the master and slavedevices 21(1), 22(1)(1), . . . , 11(K)(1) comprising synchrony group20(1).

On the other hand, in the illustrative arrangement depicted in FIG. 2A,the synchrony group 20(2) utilizes a zone player 11(K+L+3) as its audioinformation channel device 23(2). As with synchrony group 20(1), whenthe master device 21(2) of synchrony group 20(2) exchanges channeldevice control information with the audio information channel device23(2), it is effectively exchanging channel device control informationwith the zone player 11(K+L+3). Similarly, when the master and slavedevices 21(2), 22(1)(2), . . . , 22(L)(2) of synchrony group 20(2)receive audio and playback timing information, as well as clock timinginformation, from the audio information channel device 23(2), they areeffectively receiving the information from the zone player 11(K+L+3).FIG. 2A depicts a multi-headed arrow representing audio and playbacktiming information transmitted by the zone player 11(K+3) as audioinformation channel device 23(2) to the master and slave devices 21(2),22(1)(2), . . . , 22(L)(2) comprising synchrony group 20(2).

In the illustrative arrangement depicted in FIG. 2A, zone player11(K+L+3), which is the audio information channel device 23(2) forsynchrony group 20(2), is not shown as being either a master or a slavedevice in another synchrony group. However, it will be appreciated thatzone player 11(K+L+3) could also be utilized as the master device or aslave device for another synchrony group. Indeed, it will be appreciatedthat the zone player that is utilized as the audio information channeldevice for synchrony group 20(2) may also be a zone player that isutilized as the master device 21(1) or a slave device 22(1)(1), . . . ,22(K)(1) in the synchrony group 20(1).

A zone player 11(n) that is utilized as a member of one synchrony groupmay also be utilized as the audio information channel device for anothersynchrony group if the audio information source that is to supply theaudio information that is to be played by the other synchrony group isconnected to that zone player 11(n). A zone player 11(n) may also beutilized as the audio information channel device for the other synchronygroup if, for example, the audio information source is an audioinformation source 16(m) (FIG. 1) that is connected to the network 12 oran audio information source that is available over a wide area networksuch as the Internet. The latter may occur if, for example, the zoneplayer 11(n) has sufficient processing power to operate as the audioinformation channel device and it is in an optimal location in thenetwork 12, relative to the zone players comprising the other synchronygroup (that is the synchrony group for which it is operating as audioinformation channel device) for providing the audio and playback timinginformation to the members of the other synchrony group. Othercircumstances under which the zone player 11(n) that is utilized as amember of one synchrony group may also be utilized as the audioinformation channel device for another synchrony group will be apparentto those skilled in the art.

As was noted above, the master device 21 for a synchrony group 20 may bemigrated from one zone player 11(n) to another zone player 11(n′). Aswas further noted above, the audio information channel device 23 for asynchrony group 20 may be migrated from one zone player 11(n) to anotherzone player 11(n′). It will be appreciated that the latter may occur if,for example, the audio information source that provides the audioprogram for the synchrony group is not connected to the zone player11(n) that is operating as the audio information channel device 23, butinstead is one of the audio information sources 16(m) connected to thenetwork 12 or a source available over a wide area network such as theInternet. Operations performed during a migration of an audioinformation channel device 23 from one zone player 11(n) to another zoneplayer 11(n′) will generally depend on the nature of the audioinformation that is being channeled by the audio information channeldevice 23. For example, if the audio information source providesstreaming audio, the zone player 11(n) that is currently operating asthe audio information channel device 23 for the synchrony group 20, canprovide the following information to the other zone player 11(n′) thatis to become the audio information channel device 23 for the synchronygroup 20:

(a) the identification of the source of the streaming audio information,

(b) the time stamp associated with the frame that the zone player 11(n)is currently forming, and

(c) the identifications of the zone players that are operating as themaster device 21 and slave devices 22(g) comprising the synchrony group20.

After the zone player 11(n′) receives the information from the zoneplayer 11(n), it will begin receiving the streaming audio from thestreaming audio information source identified by the zone player 11(n),assemble the streaming audio information into frames, associate eachframe with a time stamp, and transmit the resulting audio and playbacktiming information over the network 12. The zone player 11(n′) willperform these operations in the same manner as described above, exceptthat, instead of using the time indicated by its digital to analogconverter clock 34 directly in generating the time stamps for theframes, the initial time stamp will be related to the value of the timestamp that is provided by the zone player 11(n) (reference item (b)above), with the rate at which the time stamps are incrementedcorresponding to the rate at which its (that is, the zone player11(n′)'s) clock increments. In addition, the zone player 11(n′) willnotify the zone players that are operating as the master device 21 andslave devices 22(g) of the synchrony group 20 that it is the new audioinformation channel device 23 for the synchrony group 20, and providethe multi-cast address that it will be using to multi-cast the audio andplayback timing information, as well as its unicast network address.After the members of the synchrony group 20 receive the notificationfrom the zone player 11(n′) indicating that it is the new audioinformation channel device 23 for the synchrony group 20, they willreceive the audio and playback timing information from the zone player11(n′) instead of the zone player 11(n), using the multi-cast addressprovided by the zone player 11(n′). In addition, they can utilize thezone player 11(n′)'s unicast network address to obtain current timeinformation therefrom. It will be appreciated that the zone player11(n′) will determine its current time in relation to the time stampthat is provided by the zone player 11(n) (reference item (b) above) orthe current time information that it received from the zone player 11(n)using the SNTP protocol as described above.

Generally similar operations can be performed in connection withmigrating the audio information channel device from one zone player11(n) to another zone player 11(n′) if the audio information is from oneor more audio information files, such as may be the case if the audioinformation comprises MP3 or WAV files that are available from sourcessuch as sources 16(m) connected to the network 12 or over from sourcesavailable over a wide area network such as the Internet, except fordifferences to accommodate the fact that the audio information is infiles. In that case, the zone player 11(n) that is currently operatingas the audio information channel device 23 for the synchrony group 20can provide the following information to the zone player 11(n′) that isto become the audio information channel device 23 for the synchronygroup 20:

(d) a list of the audio information files containing the audioinformation that is to be played;

(e) the identification of the file for which the zone player 11(n) iscurrently providing audio and playback timing information, along withthe offset into the file for which the current item of audio andplayback timing information is being generated and the time stamp thatthe zone player 11(n) is associating with that frame, and

(f) the identifications of the zone players that comprise the masterdevice 21 and slave devices 22(g) comprising the synchrony group 20.

After the zone player 11(n′) receives the information from the zoneplayer 11(n), it will begin retrieving audio information from the fileidentified in item (e), starting at the identified offset. In addition,the zone player 11(n′) can assemble the retrieved audio information intoframes, associate each frame with a time stamp and transmit theresulting audio and playback timing information over the network 12. Thezone player 11(n′) will perform these operations in the same manner asdescribed above, except that, instead of using the time indicated by itsdigital to analog converter clock 34 directly in generating the timestamps for the frames, the value of the initial time stamp will berelated to the time stamp that is provided by the zone player 11(n)(reference item (e) above), with the rate at which the time stamps areincremented corresponding to the rate at which its (that is, the zoneplayer 11(n′)'s) clock increments. In addition, the zone player 11(n′)will notify the zone players that are operating as the master device 21and slave devices 22(g) of the synchrony group 20 that it is the newaudio information channel device 23 for the synchrony group 20, andprovide the multi-cast address that it will be using to multi-cast theaudio and playback timing information, as well as its unicast networkaddress. After the members of the synchrony group 20 receive thenotification from the zone player 11(n′) indicating that it is the newaudio information channel device 23 for the synchrony group 20, theywill receive the audio and playback timing information from the zoneplayer 11(n′) instead of the zone player 11(n), using the multi-castaddress provided by the zone player 11(n′). In addition, they canutilize the zone player 11(n′)'s unicast network address to obtaincurrent time information therefrom. It will be appreciated that the zoneplayer 11(n′) will determine its current time in relation to the timestamp that is provided by the zone player 11(n) (reference item (b)above) or the current time information that it received from the zoneplayer 11(n) using the SNTP protocol as described above. The zone player11(n′) will process successive audio information files in the list thatit receives from the zone player 11(n) (reference item (d)).

Operations performed by the zone players 11(n) and 11(n′) in connectionwith migration of the audio information channel device 23 for othertypes of audio information will be apparent to those skilled in the art.In any case, preferably, the zone player 11(n) will continue operatingas an audio information channel device 23 for the synchrony group 20 forat least a brief time after it notifies the zone player 11(n′) that itis to become audio information channel device for the synchrony group,so that the zone player 11(n′) will have time to notify the zone playersin the synchrony group 20 that it is the new audio information channeldevice 23 for the synchrony group.

Before proceeding further in describing operations performed by thenetwork audio system 10, it would be helpful to provide a detaileddescription of a zone player 11(n) constructed in accordance with theinvention. FIG. 3 depicts a functional block diagram of a zone player11(n) constructed in accordance with the invention. All of the zoneplayers in the network audio system 10 may have similar construction.With reference to FIG. 3, the zone player 11(n) includes an audioinformation source interface 30, an audio information buffer 31, aplayback scheduler 32, a digital to analog converter 33, an audioamplifier 35, an audio reproduction device interface 36, a networkcommunications manager 40, and a network interface 41, all of whichoperate under the control of a control module 42. The zone player 11(n)also has a device clock 43 that provides timing signals that control thegeneral operations of the zone player 11(n). In addition, the zoneplayer 11(n) includes a user interface module interface 44 that canreceive control signals from the user interface module 13 (FIGS. 1 and2) for controlling operations of the zone player 11(n), and providestatus information to the user interface module 13.

Generally, the audio information buffer 31 buffers audio information, indigital form, along with playback timing information. If the zone player11(n) is operating as the audio information channel device 23 (FIG. 2)for a synchrony group 20, the information that is buffered in the audioinformation buffer 31 will include the audio and playback timinginformation that will be provided to the devices 21 and 22(g) in thesynchrony group 20. If the zone player 11(n) is operating as the masterdevice 21 or a slave device 22(g) for a synchrony group, the informationthat is buffered in the audio information buffer 31 will include theaudio and playback timing information that the zone player 11(n) is toplay.

The audio information buffer 31 can receive audio and playback timinginformation from two sources, namely, the audio information sourceinterface 30 and the network communications manager 40. In particular,if the zone player 11(n) is operating as the audio information channeldevice 23 for a synchrony group 20, and if the audio information sourceis a source 14(n)(s) connected to the zone player 11(n), the audioinformation buffer 31 will receive and buffer audio and playback timinginformation from the audio information source interface 30. On the otherhand, if the zone player 11(n) is operating as the audio informationchannel device 23 for a synchrony group 20, and if the audio informationsource is a source 16(m) connected to the network 12, or a sourceavailable over the wide area network, the audio information buffer 31will receive and buffer audio and playback timing information from thenetwork communications manager 40. It will be appreciated that, if thezone player 11(n) is not a member of the synchrony group, the zoneplayer 11(n) will not play this buffered audio and playback timinginformation.

On yet another hand, if the zone player 11(n) is operating as the masterdevice 21 or a slave device 22(g) in a synchrony group, and if the zoneplayer 11(n) is not also the audio information channel device 23providing audio and playback timing information for the synchrony group20, the audio information buffer 31 will receive and buffer audio andplayback timing information from the network communications manager 40.

The audio information source interface 30 connects to the audioinformation source(s) 14(n)(s) associated with the zone player 11(n).While the zone player 11(n) is operating as audio information channeldevice 23 for a synchrony group 20, and if the audio information is tobe provided by a source 14(n)(s) connected to the zone player 11(n), theaudio information source interface 30 will selectively receive audioinformation from one of the audio information source(s) 14(n)(s) towhich the zone player is connected and store the audio information inthe audio information buffer 21. If the audio information from theselected audio information source 14(n)(s) is in analog form, the audioinformation source interface 30 will convert it to digital form. Theselection of the audio information source 14(n)(s) from which the audioinformation source interface 30 receives audio information is undercontrol of the control module 42, which, in turn, receives controlinformation from the user interface module through the user interfacemodule interface 44. The audio information source interface 30 addsplayback timing information to the digital audio information and buffersthe combined audio and playback timing information in the audioinformation buffer 21.

More specifically, as noted above, the audio information sourceinterface 30 receives audio information from an audio information source14(n)(s), converts it to digital form if necessary, and buffers it alongwith playback timing information in the audio information buffer 21. Inaddition, the audio information source interface 30 will also provideformatting and scheduling information for the digital audio information,whether as received from the selected audio information source 14(n)(s)or as converted from an analog audio information source. As will be madeclear below, the formatting and scheduling information will control notonly playback by the zone player 11(n) itself, but will also enableother zone players 11(n′), 11(n″), . . . that may be in a synchronygroup for which the zone player 11(n) is the master device, to play theaudio program associated with the audio information in synchrony withthe zone player 11(n).

In one particular embodiment, the audio information source interface 30divides the audio information associated with an audio work into aseries of frames, with each frame comprising digital audio informationfor a predetermined period of time. As used herein, an audio track maycomprise any unit of audio information that is to be played withoutinterruption. On the other hand, an audio program may comprise a seriesof one or more audio tracks that are to be played in succession. It willbe appreciated that the tracks comprising the audio program may also beplayed without interruption, or alternatively playback between tracksmay be interrupted by a selected time interval. FIG. 4 schematicallydepicts an illustrative framing strategy used in connection with oneembodiment of the invention for a digital audio stream comprising anaudio work. More specifically, FIG. 4 depicts a framed digital audiostream 50 comprising a sequence of frames 51(1) through 51(F) (generallyidentified by reference numeral 51(f)). Each frame 51(f), in turn,comprises a series of audio samples 52(f)(1) through 52(f)(S) (generallyidentified by reference numeral 52(f)(s)) of the audio track. Preferablyall of the frames will have the same number “S” of audio samples,although it will be appreciated from the following that that isprimarily for convenience. On the other hand, it will be appreciatedthat, the number of audio samples may differ from “S”; this mayparticularly be the case if the frame 51(f) contains the last audiosamples for the digital audio stream for a particular audio work. Inthat case, the last frame 51(F) will preferably contain samples 52(F)(1)through 52(F)(x), where “x” is less than “S.” Generally, it is desirablethat the number of samples be consistent among all frames 51(f), and inthat case padding, which will not be played, can be added to the lastframe 51(F).

Associated with each frame 51(f) is a header 55(f) that includes anumber of fields for storing other information that is useful incontrolling playback of the audio samples in the respective frame 51(f).In particular, the header 55(f) associated with a frame 51(f) includes aframe sequence number field 56, an encoding type field 57, a samplingrate information field 58, a time stamp field 60, an end of track flag61, and a length flag field 62. The header 55(f) may also include fields(not shown) for storing other information that is useful in controllingplayback. Generally, the frame sequence number field 56 receives asequence number “f” that identifies the relative position of the frame51(f) in the sequence of frames 51(1) . . . 51(f) . . . 51(F) containingthe digital audio stream 50. The encoding type field 57 receives a valuethat identifies the type of encoding and/or compression that has beenused in generating the digital audio stream. Conventional encoding orcompression schemes include, for example, the well-known MP3 and WAVencoding and/or compression schemes, although it will be appreciatedthat other schemes may be provided for as well. The sampling rateinformation field 58 receives sampling rate information that indicatesthe sampling rate for the audio samples 52(f)(s). As will be apparent tothose skilled in the art, the sampling rate determines the rate at whichthe zone player 11(n) is to play the audio samples 52(f)(s) in theframe, and, as will be described below, determines the period of thedigital to analog converter clock 34.

The condition of the end of work flag 61 indicates whether the frame51(f) contains the last digital audio samples for the audio trackassociated with the framed digital audio work 50. If the frame 51(f)does not contain the audio samples that are associated with the end ofthe digital audio stream 50 for a respective audio work, the end of workflag will be clear. On the other hand, if the frame 51(f) does containthe audio samples that are associated with the end of the digital audiostream 50 for a respective audio work, the end of work flag 61 will beset. In addition, since the number of valid audio samples 52(F)(s) inthe frame 51(F), that is, the samples that are not padding, may be lessthan “S,” the default number of audio samples in a frame 51(f), thelength flag field 62 will contain a value that identifies the number ofaudio samples in 52(F)(s) in the last frame 51(F) of the audio work 50.If, as noted above, the frames have a consistent number “S” of samples,the samples 52(F)(x+1) through 52(F)(S) will contain padding, which willnot be played.

The time stamp field 60 stores a time stamp that identifies the time atwhich the zone player 11(n) is to play the respective frame. Morespecifically, for each frame of a framed digital audio stream 50 that isbuffered in the audio information buffer 21, the audio informationsource interface 30, using timing information from the digital to analogconverter clock 34, will determine a time at which the zone player 11(n)is to play the respective frame, and stores a time stamp identifying theplayback time in the time stamp field 60. The time stamp associated witheach frame will later be used by the playback scheduler 32 to determinewhen the portion of the digital audio stream stored in the frame is tobe coupled to the digital to analog converter 33 to initiate play back.It will be appreciated that the time stamps that are associated withframes in sequential frames 51(1), 51(2), . . . , 51(F), will be suchthat they will be played back in order, and without an interruptionbetween the sequential frames comprising the digital audio stream 50. Itwill further be appreciated that, after a time stamp has been determinedfor the first frame, stored in frame 51(1), of a digital audio stream50, the audio information source interface 30 can determine time stampsfor the subsequent frame 51(2), 51(3), . . . , 51(F) in relation to thenumber of samples “S” in the respective frames and the sample rate. Thetime stamps will also preferably be such that frames will be played backafter some slight time delay after they have been buffered in the audioinformation buffer 21; the purpose for the time delay will be made clearbelow.

Returning to FIG. 3, in addition to dividing the digital audioinformation into frames, the audio information source interface 30 alsoaggregates and/or divides the frames 51(f) as necessary into packets,each of which will be of a length that would fit into a message fortransmission over the network, and associates each packet with a packetsequence number. For example, if a packet will accommodate multipleframes 51(f), 51(f+1), . . . 51(f+y−1), it will aggregate them into apacket and associate them with a packet number, for example p(x). If theentire frames 51(f) and 51(f+y−1) was accommodated in packet p(x), where“x” is the sequence number, which will occur if the size of a packet isan exact multiple of the frame size, the next packet, p(x+1) will beginwith frame 51(f+y) and will include frames 51(f+y), . . . , 51(f+2y−1).Subsequent packets p(x+2), . . . will be formed in a similar manner. Onthe other hand, if the packet length will not accommodate an exactmultiple of the frame size, the last frame in the packet will becontinued at the beginning of the next packet.

If the audio information source interface 30 is aware of trackboundaries, which may be the case if the tracks are divided into files,the packets will reflect the track boundaries, that is, the packets willnot contain frames from two tracks. Thus, if the last frames associatedwith a track are insufficient to fill a packet, the packet will containpadding from the last frame associated with the track to the end of thepacket, and the next packet will begin with the first frames associatedwith the next track.

In one embodiment, the audio information source interface 30 stores thepackets in the audio information buffer 31 in a ring buffer. As isconventional, a ring buffer includes a series of storage locations inthe buffer. Each entry will be sufficient to store one packet. Fourpointers are used in connection with the ring buffer, a first pointerpointing to the beginning of the ring buffer, a second pointer pointingto the end of the ring buffer, an third “write” pointer pointing to theentry into which a packet will be written and a fourth “read” pointerpointing to the entry from which packet will be read for use inplayback. When a packet is read from the ring buffer for playback, itwill be read from the entry pointed to by the read pointer. After thepacket has been read, the read pointer will be advanced. If the readpointer points beyond the end of the ring buffer, as indicated by theend pointer, it will be reset to point to the entry pointed to by thebeginning pointer, and the operations can be repeated.

On the other hand, when the audio information source interface 30 storesa packet in the ring buffer, first determine whether the entry pointedto by the write pointer points to the same entry as the entry pointed toby the read pointer. If the write pointer points to the same entry asthe entry pointed to by the read pointer, the entry contains at least aportion of a packet that has not yet been read for playback, and theaudio information source interface 30 will delay storage of the packetuntil the entire packet has been read and the read pointer advanced.After the read pointer has been advanced, the audio information sourceinterface 30 can store the packet in the entry pointed to by the writepointer. After the packet has been stored, the audio information sourceinterface 30 will advance the write pointer. If the write pointer pointsbeyond the end of the ring buffer, as indicated by the end pointer, itwill be reset to point to the entry pointed to by the beginning pointer,and the operations can be repeated.

As noted above, the zone player 11(n) can operate both as an audioinformation channel device 23 and a member of the synchrony group 20 ofwhich it is a member. In that case, the audio information buffer 31 cancontain one ring buffer. On the other hand, the zone player 11(n) canoperate as an audio information channel device 23 for one synchronygroup 20(1) (FIG. 2A) and a member of another synchrony group 20(2). Inthat case, the audio information buffer 31 would maintain two ringbuffers, one for the audio and timing information associated withsynchrony group 20(1), and the other for the audio and timinginformation associated with synchrony group 20(2). It will beappreciated that, in the latter case, the zone player 11(n) will onlyuse the audio and timing information that is associated with synchronygroup 20(2) for playback.

The playback scheduler 32 schedules playback of the audio informationthat is buffered in the audio information buffer 31 that is to be playedby the zone player 11(n). Accordingly, under control of the playbackscheduler 32, the digital audio information that is buffered in theaudio information buffer 21 that is to be played by the zone player11(n) is transferred to the digital to analog converter 33 for playback.As noted above, if the zone player 11(n) is operating as an audioinformation channel device 23 for a synchrony group 20 for which it isnot a member, the playback scheduler 32 will not schedule the digitalaudio information that is to be played by that synchrony group 20 forplayback. The playback scheduler 32 only schedules the digital audioinformation, if any, that is buffered in the audio information buffer 31that is associated with a synchrony group for which the zone player11(n) is a member, whether as master device 21 or a slave device 22(g).

Essentially, the playback scheduler 32 makes use of the read pointerassociated with the circular buffer that contains the audio and playbacktiming information that is to be played by the zone player 11(n). Theplayback scheduler 32 retrieves the packet information from the entry ofthe ring buffer pointed to by the read pointer, and then advances thering pointer as described above. The playback scheduler 32 determinesthe boundaries of the frames in the packet and uses the time stamps inthe time stamp fields 60 associated with the respective frame 51(f),along with timing information provided by the zone player 11(n)'sdigital to analog converter clock 34, to determine when the respectiveframe is to be transferred to the digital to analog converter 33.Generally, when the time stamp associated with a buffered digital audioinformation frame corresponds to the current time as indicated by thedigital to analog converter clock 34, the playback scheduler 32 willenable the respective frame to be transferred to the digital to analogconverter 33.

The digital to analog converter 33, also under control of the digital toanalog converter clock 34, converts the buffered digital audioinformation to analog form, and provides the analog audio information tothe audio amplifier 35 for amplification. The amplified analoginformation, in turn, is provided to the audio reproduction devices15(n)(r) through the audio reproduction device interface 36. The audioreproduction devices 15(n)(r) transform the analog audio informationsignal to sound thereby to provide the audio program to a listener. Theamount by which the audio amplifier 35 amplifies the analog signal iscontrolled by the control module 42, in response to volume controlinformation provided by the user through the user interface module 13.

The network communications manager 40 controls network communicationsover the network 12, and the network interface 41 transmits and receivesmessage packets over the network 12. The network communications manager40 generates and receives messages to facilitate the transfer of thevarious types of information described above in connection with FIG. 2,including the channel device control information, slave device controlinformation, audio and playback timing information and the audioinformation channel device's clock timing information. In connectionwith the channel device control information and the slave device controlinformation, the network communications manager 40 will generatemessages for transfer over the network 12 in response to controlinformation from the control module 42. Similarly, when the networkcommunications manager 40 receives messages containing channel devicecontrol information and slave device control information, the networkcommunications manager will provide the information to the controlmodule 42 for processing.

With regards to the audio information channel device's clock timinginformation, as noted above, the master device 21 and slave devices22(g) of the synchrony group 20 obtain the clock timing information fromthe audio information channel device 23 using the well-known SNTP. Ifthe zone player 11(n) is operating as the audio information channeldevice 23 for a synchrony group, during the SNTP operation, it willprovide its current time, particularly a current time as indicated byits digital to analog converter clock 34. On the other hand, if the zoneplayer 11(n) is operating as the master device 21 or slave device 22(g)of a synchrony group 20, it will receive the clock timing informationfrom the audio information channel device 23. After the respectivedevice 21, 22(g) has obtained the audio information channel device'sclock timing information, it will generate a differential time value ATrepresenting the difference between the time T indicated by its digitalto analog converter clock 34 and the current time information from theaudio information channel device 23. The differential time value will beused to update the time stamps for the frames of the digital audiostream 50 (FIG. 4) that are received from the audio information channeldevice.

With regards to the audio and playback timing information, operationsperformed by the network communications manager 40 will depend onwhether

(i) the audio and playback timing information has been buffered in theaudio information buffer 31 for transmission, as audio informationchannel device 23, over the network 12 to the master device 21 and/orslave devices 22(g) of a synchrony group, or

(ii) the audio and playback timing information has been received fromthe network 12 to be played by the zone player 11(n) as either themaster device 21 for a synchrony group or a slave device in a synchronygroup.

It will be appreciated that the network communications manager 40 may beengaged in both (i) and (ii) contemporaneously, since the zone player11(n) may operate both as the audio information channel device 23(1) fora synchrony group 20(1) (reference FIG. 2A) of which it is not a member,and a member of another synchrony group 20(2) for which another zoneplayer 11(n′) is the audio information channel device 23(2). Withreference to item (i) above, after a packet that is to be transmittedhas been buffered in the respective ring buffer, the networkcommunications manager 40 retrieves the packet, packages it into amessage and enables the network interface 41 to transmit the messageover the network 12. If the control module 42 receives controlinformation from the user interface module 13 (if the master device 21is also the audio information channel device 23 for the synchrony group20) or from the master device (if the master device 21 is not the audioinformation channel device 23 for the synchrony group 20) that wouldrequire the transmission of a “resynchronize” command as describedabove, the control module 42 of the audio information channel device 23enables the network communications manager 40 to insert the command intoa message containing the audio and playback timing information. Detailsof the operations performed in connection with the “resynchronize”command will be described below. As noted above, the “resynchronize”command is used if the user enables a synchrony group to terminate theplayback of a track that is currently being played, or cancel playbackof a track whose playback has not begun.

On the other hand, with reference to item (ii) above, if networkinterface 41 receives a message containing a packet containing frames ofaudio and playback timing information that the zone player 11(n) is toplay either as a master device 21 or a slave device for a synchronygroup 20, the network interface 41 provides the audio and playbacktiming information to the network communications manager 40. The networkcommunications manager 40 will determine whether the packet contains aresynchronize command and, if so, notify the control module 42, whichwill enable operations to be performed as described below. In any case,the network communications manager 40 will normally buffer the variousframes comprising the audio and playback timing information in the audioinformation buffer 31, and in that operation will generally operate asdescribed above in connection with the audio information sourceinterface 30. Before buffering them, however, the network communicationsmanager 40 will update their time stamps using the time differentialvalue described above. It will be appreciated that the networkcommunications manager 40 will perform similar operations whether themessages that contain the packets were multi-cast messages or unicastmessages as described above

The updating of the time stamps by the master device 21 and the slavedevices 22(g) in the synchrony group 20 will ensure that they all playthe audio information synchronously. In particular, after the networkcommunications manager 40 has received a frame 51(f) from the networkinterface 41, it will also obtain, from the digital to analog converterclock 34, the zone player 11(n)'s current time as indicated by itsdigital to analog converter clock 34. The network communications manager40 will determine a time differential value that is the differencebetween the slave device's current clock time, as indicated by itsdigital to analog converter 34, and the audio information channeldevice's time as indicated by the audio information channel device'sclock timing information. Accordingly, if the master or slave device'scurrent time has a value T_(S) and the audio information channeldevice's current time, as indicated by the clock timing information, hasa value T_(C), the time differential value ΔT=T_(S)−T_(C). If thecurrent time of the master or slave device in the synchrony group 20, asindicated by its digital to analog converter clock 34, is ahead of theaudio information channel device's clock time as indicated by the clocktiming information received during the SNTP operation, the timedifferential value will have a positive value. On the other hand, if themaster or slave device's current time is behind the audio informationchannel device's clock time, the time differential value ΔT will have anegative value. If the zone player 11(n) obtains clock timinginformation from the audio information channel device 23 periodicallywhile it is a member of the synchrony group 20, the networkcommunications manager 40 can generate an updated value for the timedifferential value ΔT when it receives the clock timing information fromthe audio information channel device 23, and will subsequently use theupdated time differential value.

The network communications manager 40 uses the time differential valueΔT that it generates from the audio information channel device timinginformation and zone player 11(n)'s current time to update the timestamps that will be associated with the digital audio information framesthat the zone player 11(n) receives from the audio information channeldevice. For each digital audio information frame that is received fromthe audio information channel device, instead of storing the time stampthat is associated with the frame as received in the message in theaudio information buffer 21, the network communications manager 40 willstore the updated time stamp with the digital audio information frame.The updated time stamp is generated in a manner so that, when the zoneplayer 11(n), as a member of the synchrony group plays back the digitalaudio information frame, it will do so in synchrony with other devicesin the synchrony group.

More specifically, after the zone player 11(n)'s network interface 41receives a message containing a packet that, in turn, contains one ormore frames 51(f), it will provide the packet to the networkcommunications manager 40. For each frame 51(f) in the packet that thenetwork communications manager 40 receives from the network interface41, the network communications manager 40 will add the time differentialvalue ΔT to the frame's time stamp, to generate the updated time stampfor the frame 51(f), and store the frame 51(f), along with the header55(f) with the updated time stamp in the audio information buffer 31.Thus, for example, if a frame's time stamp has a time value T_(F), thenetwork communications manager 40 will generate an updated time stampT^(U) _(F) having a time value T^(U) _(F)=T_(F)+ΔT. Since time valueT^(U) _(F) according to the slave device's digital to analog converterclock 34 is simultaneous to the time value T_(F) according to the audioinformation channel device's digital to analog converter clock 34, thezone player 11(n) device will play the digital audio information frameat the time determined by the audio information channel device 23. Sinceall of the members of the synchrony group 20 will perform the sameoperations, generating the updated time stamps T^(U) _(F) for thevarious frames 51(f) in relation to their respective differential timevalues, all of the zone players 11(n) in the synchrony group 20 willplay them synchronously. The network communications manager 40 willgenerate updated time stamps T^(U) _(F) for all of the time stamps 60 inthe packet, and then store the packet in the audio information buffer31.

It will be appreciated that, before storing a packet in the audioinformation buffer 21, the network communications manager 40 can comparethe updated time stamps T^(U) _(F) associated with the frames in thepacket to the slave device's current time as indicated by its digital toanalog converter clock 34. If the network communications manager 40determines the time indicated by the updated time stamps of frames 51(f)in the packet are earlier than the zone player's current time, it candiscard the packet instead of storing it in the audio information buffer21, since the zone player 11(n) will not play them. That is, if theupdated time stamp has a time value T^(U) _(F) that identifies a timethat is earlier than the zone player's current time T_(S) as indicatedby the zone player's digital to analog converter clock 34, the networkcommunications manager 40 can discard the packet.

If the zone player 11(n) is operating as the master device 21 of asynchrony group 20, when the user, through the user interface module 13,notifies the zone player 11(n) that another zone player 11(n′) is tojoin the synchrony group 20 as a slave device 22(g), the control module42 of the zone player 11(n) enables the network communications manager40 to engage in an exchange of messages, described above in connectionwith FIG. 2, to enable the other zone player 11(n′) to join thesynchrony group 20 as a slave device. As noted above, during the messageexchange, the messages generated by the network communications manager40 of the zone player 11(n) will provide the network communicationsmanager of the zone player 11(n′) that is to join the synchrony group 20with information such as the multi-cast address being used by the audioinformation channel device 23 that is providing the audio program to thesynchrony group 20, as well as a unicast network address for the audioinformation channel device 23. After receiving that information, thenetwork communications manager and network interface of the zone player11(n′) that is to join the synchrony group 20 can begin receiving themulti-cast messages containing the audio program for the synchronygroup, engage in SNTP transactions with the audio information channeldevice 23 to obtain the latter's current time, and also enable the audioinformation channel device 23 to send the zone player 11(n′) frames51(f) that it had previously broadcast using the unicast messagetransmission methodology as described above.

On the other hand, if the network communications manager 40 and networkinterface 41 of the zone player 11(n) receive a message over the network12 indicating that it is to become a slave device 22(g) of a synchronygroup for which another zone player 11(n′) is the master device, thenetwork communications manager 40 for zone player 11(n) will provide anotification to the control module 42 of zone player 11(n). Thereafter,the control module 42 of zone player 11(n) can enable the networkcommunications manager 40 of zone player 11(n) to perform the operationsdescribed above to enable it to join the synchrony group 20.

As noted above, the user, using user interface module 13, can enable thesynchrony group to terminate playback of a track of an audio programthat is currently being played. After playback of a track that iscurrently being played has been terminated, playback will continue in aconventional manner with the next track that has been buffered in theaudio information buffer 31. It will be appreciated that that could bethe next track that is on the original play list, or a previous track.In addition, the user can enable the synchrony group 20 to cancelplayback of a track that it has not yet begun to play, but for whichbuffering of packets has begun in the synchrony group 20. Both of theseoperations make use of the “resynchronize” command that the masterdevice 21 of the synchrony group 20 can enable the audio informationchannel device 23 to include in the multi-cast message stream that ittransmits to the synchrony group 20. Generally, in response to receiptof the resynchronize command, the members of the synchrony group 20flush the ring buffer containing the packets that they are to play inthe future. In addition, if the members of the synchrony group provideseparate buffers for their respective digital to analog converters 33,the members will also flush those buffers as well. After the audioinformation channel device transmits a packet containing theresynchronize command:

(i) in the case of the use of the resynchronize command to terminateplaying of a track that is currently being played, the audio informationchannel device 23 will begin multi-casting packets for the next track,to begin play immediately, and will continue through the play list inthe manner described above; and

(ii) in the case of the use of the resynchronize command to cancel playof a track for which buffering has begun, but which is to be played inthe future, the audio information channel device 23 will beginmulti-casting packets for the track after the track that has beencancelled, to be played beginning at the time the cancelled track was tobegin play, and will also continue through the play list in the mannerdescribed above.

It will be appreciated that,

(a) in the first case (item (i) directly above), the resynchronizecommand can enable the read pointer to be set to point to the entry inthe circular buffer into which the first packet for the next track willbe written, which will correspond to the entry to which the writepointer points, but

(b) in the second case (item (ii) directly above), the resynchronizecommand can enable the write pointer for the circular buffer to be setto point to the entry that contains the first packet for the track whoseplay is being cancelled.

It will further be appreciated that, if a track is cancelled for whichbuffering has not begun, the resynchronize command will generally not benecessary, since the audio information channel device 23 for thesynchrony group 20 need only delete that track from the play list.

Operations performed in connection with use of the resynchronize commandto cancel playback of a track that is currently being played will bedescribed in connection with Packet Sequence A below, and operationsperformed in connection with the use of the resynchronize command tocancel playback of a track that is has not yet begun to play, but forwhich buffering of packets has begun, will be described in connectionwith Packet Sequence B below.

Packet Sequence A

(A1.0) [packet 57](A1.1 [continuation of frame 99](A1.2) [frame 100, time=0:00:01, type=mp3 audio](A1.3) [frame 101, time=0:00:02, type=mp3 audio](A1.4) [frame 102, time=0:00:03, type=mp3 audio](A2.0) [packet 58](A2.1) [continuation of frame 102](A2.2) [frame 103, time=0:00:04, type=mp3 audio](A2.3) [frame 104, time=0:00:05, type=mp3 audio](A2.4) [frame 105, time=0:00:06, type=mp3 audio](A3.0) [packet 59](A3.1) [continuation of frame 105](A3.2) [frame 106, time=0:00:07, type=mp3 audio](A3.3) [frame 107, time=0:00:08, type=mp3 audio](A3.4) [frame 108, time=0:00:09, type=mp3 audio](A4.0) [packet 60](A4.1) [continuation of frame 108](A4.2) [frame 109, time=0:00:10, type=mp3 audio](A4.3) [Resynchronize command](A4.4) [Padding, if necessary](A5.0) [packet 61](A5.1) [frame 1, time=0:00:07, type=mp3 audio](A5.2) [frame 2, time=0:00:08, type=mp3 audio](A5.3) [frame 3, time=0:00:09, type=mp3 audio](A5.4) [frame 4, time=0.00.10, type=mp3 audio](A6.0) [packet 62](A6.1) [continuation of frame 4](A6.2) [frame 5, time=0:00:11, type=mp3 audio](A6.3) [frame 6, time=0:00:12, type=mp3 audio](A6.4) [frame 7, time=0:00:13, type=mp3 audio]

Packet Sequence A comprises a sequence of six packets, identified bypacket 57 through packet 62, that the audio information channel device23 multi-casts in respective messages to the members of a synchronygroup 20. It will be appreciated that the series of messages that theaudio information channel device 23 may multi-cast to the synchronygroup 20 may include a messages prior to the packet 57, and may alsoinclude messages after packet 62. Each packet comprises a packet header,which is symbolized by lines (A1.0), (A2.0), . . . (A6.0) in PacketSequence A, and will generally also include information associated withat least a portion of a frame. In the packets represented in PacketSequence A, each packet includes information associated with a pluralityof frames. Depending on the lengths of the packets, each packet maycontain information associated with a portion of a frame, an entireframe, or multiple frames. In the illustration represented by PacketSequence A, it is assumed that each packet may contain informationassociated with multiple frames. In addition, it is assumed that apacket does not necessarily contain information associated with anintegral number of frames; in that case, a packet may containinformation associated with a portion of a frame, and the next packetwill contain the information associated with the rest of a frame.

The frames and associated header playback timing information containedin the various packets are symbolized by lines (A1.1), (A1.2), . . . ,(A1.4), (A2.1), . . . (A6.4) of Packet Sequence A. Thus, for example,line (A1.2) of packet 57 represents the one-hundredth frame, that is,frame 51(100) (reference FIG. 4), of the track whose audio informationis being transmitted in the sequence of packets that includes packet 57.The frame 51(100) is to be played at an illustrative time, according tothe audio information channel device's digital to analog converterclock, of “time=0:00:01,” and the frame is encoded and/or compressedusing the well-known MP3 encoding and compression methodology. In thatcase, the legend“time=0:00:01” represents the time stamp that would beincluded in field 60 (FIG. 4) of the header associated with the frame50(100) as multi-cast by the audio information channel device for thesynchrony group. It will be appreciated that the playback time andencoding/compression methodology will be referred in the header 55(100)that is associated with the frame 51(100). It will also be appreciatedthat the header may also contain additional information as describedabove.

Similarly, line (A1.3) of packet 57 represents the one-hundred and firstframe, that is, frame 51(101), of the track whose audio information isbeing transmitted in the sequence of packets that includes packet 57.The frame 51(101) is to be played at an illustrative time, according tothe audio information channel device's digital to analog converterclock, of “0:00:02,” and the frame is also encoded and/or compressedusing the MP3 encoding and compression methodology. Line (A1.4) ofpacket 57 represents similar information, although it will beappreciated that, depending on the length of packet 57, the line may notrepresent the information for an entire frame 51(102) and/or itsassociated header. If the length of packet 57 is not sufficient toaccommodate the information for the entire frame 51(102) and/orassociated header, the information will continue in packet 58, asrepresented by line (A2.1) in Packet Sequence A. Similarly, if thelength of packet 56 was not sufficient to contain the information for anentire frame 51(99) preceding frame 51(100), packet 57 (lines (A1.0)through 1.4) may contain any information from frame 51(99) that packet56 was unable to accommodate.

As noted above, when the master device 21 or a slave device 22(g) in thesynchrony group 20 receives the packet 57, its respective networkcommunications manager 40 will update the time stamps associated withthe various frames 51(f) as described above before buffering therespective frames in the respective audio information buffer 31.

Packets 58 and 59 contain information that is organized along the linesdescribed above in connection with packet 57.

Packet 60 also contains, as represented by lines (A4.1) and (A4.2),information that is organized along the lines of the informationrepresented by lines (Ax.1) and (Ax.2) (“x” equals an integer) describedabove in connection with packets 57 through 59. On the other hand,packet 60 contains a resynchronize command, as represented by line(A4.3). Packet 60 also may contain padding, as represented by line 4.4,following the resynchronize command. As noted above, the master device21 of a synchrony group 20 will enable the audio information channeldevice 23 that is providing audio information to the synchrony group 20to multi-cast a message containing the resynchronize command when itreceives notification from the user interface module 13 that the userwishes to cancel playback of a track that is currently being played. Inthe example depicted in Packet Sequence A, as will be described below,the audio information channel device 23 receives notification from themaster device 21 that the user wishes to cancel playback of a track at atime corresponding to “time=0:00:07” according to its digital to analogconverter clock 34, and, in line (A4.3) of packet 60 it will provide theresynchronize command, followed by padding, if necessary.

As will be apparent from examining lines (A3.1) through (A3.4) of packet59 and lines (A4.1) and (A4.2) of packet 60, although the audioinformation channel device 23 has received the notification from thesynchrony group's master device 21 to multi-cast the resynchronizecommand at a time corresponding to “time=0:00:07” according to the clocktime indicated by its digital to analog converter clock 34, it (that is,the audio information channel device 23) has already multi-cast messagescontaining frames that are to be played at that time and subsequently.That is, the audio information channel device 23 has, multi-cast inpacket 59, frames 51(106) through 51(108) that contain time stamps“time=0:00:07,” “time=0:00:08” and “time=0:00:09,” respectively, and, inpacket 60, in addition to the continuation of frame 51(108), frame51(109) that contains time stamp “time=0:00:10.” (It will be appreciatedthat the times indicated by the illustrative time stamps are forillustration purposes only, and that in an actual embodiment the timestamps may have different values and differentials.)

As noted above, the audio information channel device 23 multi-casts amessage containing a packet that, in turn, contains the resynchronizecommand when it receives the notification from the master device 21 todo so. In the example depicted in Packet Sequence A, the packet will bemulti-cast when the audio information channel device's digital to analogconverter clock time corresponds to “0:00:07.” Subsequently, two thingshappen. In one, aspect, when the master device 21 and slave devices22(g) receive the packet that contains the resynchronize command, theywill stop playing the audio program that they are playing.

In addition, the audio information channel device 23 will begintransmitting frames containing audio information for the next track,including therewith time stamps immediately following the digital toanalog converter clock time at which the packet including theresynchronize command was transmitted. Accordingly, and with furtherreference to Packet Sequence A, the audio information channel device 23will multi-cast a message containing packet 61. As indicated above,packet 61 contains, as represented in lines (A5.1) through (A5.3),frames 51(1) through 51(3), which are the first three frames of the nexttrack of the audio program that is to be played. It is also compressedand encoded using the MP3 encoding and compression scheme, and it isaccompanied by time stamps “time=0:00:07,” “time=0:00:08” and“time=0:00:10.” As noted above, the time stamp “time=0:00:07”corresponds to the clock time at which the audio information channeldevice 23 multi-casts the resynchronize command, and, when the masterdevice 21 and slave devices 22(g) receive these frames, they would beexpected to begin playing them very shortly, if not immediately afterthe audio information channel device 23 multi-casts the messagecontaining the packet that, in turn, contains the resynchronize command.Packet 61 also includes at least a portion of the next frame, that is,frame 51(4), for that track. In addition, Packet Sequence A depictedabove further includes a subsequent packet, namely, packet 62, thatcontains any necessary continuation of frame 51(4), as well as threesubsequent frames. If any additional packets are required for the track,as well as for subsequent tracks, they can be multi-cast in a similarmanner.

As further noted above, the resynchronize command can also be used tocancel playing of one or more tracks for which playback has begun. Thiswill be illustrated in connection with Packet Sequence B:

Packet Sequence B

(B1.0) [packet 157](B1.1) [continuation of frame 99](B1.2) [frame 100, time=0:00:01, type=mp3 audio](B1.3) [frame 101, time=0:00:02, type=mp3 audio](B 1.4) [frame 102, time=0:00:03, type=mp3 audio](B2.0) [packet 158](B2.1) [continuation of frame 102](B2.2) [frame 103, time=0:00:04, type=mp3 audio](B2.3) [frame 104, time=0:00:05, type=mp3 audio](B2.4) [frame 105, time=0:00:06, type=mp3 audio](B3.0) [packet 159](B3.1) [continuation of frame 105](B3.2) [frame 106, time=0:00:07, type=mp3 audio](B3.3) [track boundary notification](B3.4) [Padding, if necessary](B4.0) [packet 160](B4.1) [frame 1, time=0:00:08, type=mp3 audio](B4.2) [frame 2, time=0:00:09, type=mp3 audio](B4.3) [frame 3, time=0:00:10, type=mp3 audio](B5.0) [packet 161](B5.1) [continuation of frame 3](B5.2) [frame 4, time=0:00:11, type=mp3 audio](B5.3) [Resynchronize, after packet 159](B5.4) [Padding, if necessary](B6.0) [packet 162](B6.1) [frame 1, time=0:00:08, type=mp3 audio](B6.2) [frame 2, time=0:00:09, type=mp3 audio](B6.3) [frame 3, time=0:00:10, type=mp3 audio].(B6.4) [frame 4, time=0:00:11, type=mp3 audio](B7.0) [packet 163](B7.1) [continuation of frame 4](B7.2) [frame 5, time=0:00:12, type=mp3 audio](B7.3) [frame 6, time=0:00:13, type=mp3 audio](B7.4) [frame 7, time=0:00:14, type=mp3 audio]

Packet Sequence B comprises a series of seven packets, identified bypacket 157 through 163, that the audio information channel device 23multi-casts to the members of a synchrony group 20. As with PacketSequence A, it will be appreciated that the series of packets that theaudio information channel device 23 may multi-cast to the synchronygroup 20 may include packets prior to the packet 157, and may alsoinclude packets after packet 162. Each packet comprises a packet header,which is symbolized by lines (B1.0), (B2.0), . . . (B7.0) in PacketSequence B. As in Packet Sequence A, each packet will also generallyinclude information associated with at least a portion of a frame 51(f)along with its associated frame 55(f). As in the packets represented inPacket Sequence A, each packet includes information associated with aplurality of frames. Depending on the lengths of the packets, eachpacket may contain information associated with a portion of a frame, anentire frame, or multiple frames. Further, as with Packet Sequence A, itis assumed that each packet may contain information associated withmultiple frames. In addition, it is assumed that a packet does notnecessarily contain information associated with an integral number offrames; in that case, a packet may contain information associated with aportion of a frame, and the next packet will contain the informationassociated with the rest of a frame.

The structures of the packets represented by Packet Sequence B aresimilar to those described above in connection with Packet Sequence A,and will not be repeated here. Generally, Packet Sequence Billustratively contains a sequence of packets that represent at leastportions of three tracks that may have been selected from, for example,a play list. In particular, packets 157 through 159 represent framesfrom a portion of one track, packets 160 and 161 represent frames from asecond track and packets 162 and 163 represent frames from a thirdtrack. The play list indicated that the first, second and third trackswere to be played in that order. With particular reference to PacketSequence B, it should be noted that line (B3.3) indicates that packet159 includes an indication that that packet contains the last frame forthe track, and line (B3.4) provides for padding to the end of thepacket. The first frame of the next track begins in packet 160.

In connection with the use of the resynchronize command to cancelplayback of a track, at least a portion of which the audio informationchannel device 23 has multi-cast to the members of the synchrony group,packet 161, in line (B5.3) represents a resynchronize command thatindicates that resynchronization is to occur after packet 159, that is,immediately after the packet that contains the last frame of the firstof the three tracks represented by the packets in Packet Sequence B. Itshould be noted that the resynchronize command is in the packet 161,while the resynchronization is to occur at packet 160, that is, thesynchrony group is to not play the track starting with packet 160, butinstead is to begin playing the track frames for which begin with thenext packet, that is, packet 162. As with Packet Sequence A, in PacketSequence B the audio information channel device 23, in packet 162 and163, multi-casts frames whose time stamps indicate that they are to beplayed when the frames that were multi-cast in packets 160 and 161 wereto be played. By use of the resynchronize command and specifying apacket in this manner, the audio information channel device can cancelplayback of a track for which playback has not yet begun.

It will be appreciated that the resynchronize command is generally notnecessary for cancelling play back of a track that the audio informationchannel device 23 has not started multi-casting to the synchrony group20, since the audio information channel device 23 itself can re-orderthe play list to accommodate the cancellation.

The invention provides a number of advantages. In particular, theinvention provides a network audio system in which a number of devicesshare information can reproduce audio information synchronously,notwithstanding the fact that packets, which may contain digital audioinformation, transmitted over the network to the various zone playersconnected thereto may have differing delays and the zone players operatewith independent clocks. Moreover, although the invention has beendescribed in connection with audio information, it will be appreciatedthat the invention will find utility in connection with any type ofisochronous information for which synchrony among devices is desired.The system is such that synchrony groups are created and destroyeddynamically, and in such a manner as to avoid requiring a dedicateddevice as the master device.

It will be appreciated that a number of changes and modifications may bemade to the network audio system 10 as described above. For example,although the invention has been described as providing that the audioinformation channel device 23 provides digital audio information to themembers synchrony group 20 that has been encoded using particular typesof encoding and compression methodologies, it will be appreciated thatthe audio information channel device 23 can provide digital audioinformation to various members of the synchrony group 20 that have beenencoded and compressed using different types of encoding and compressionmethodologies, and, moreover, for which different sampling rates havebeen used. For example, the audio information channel device 23 mayprovide digital audio information to the master device 21 and slavedevices 22(1) through 22(g ₁) using the MP3 methodology at a specifiedsampling rate, the digital audio information for the same program toslave devices 22(g ₁+1) through 22(g ₂) using the WAV methodology at onespecified sampling rate, and to slave devices 22(g ₂+1) through 22(G)using the WAV methodology at another specified sampling rate. In thatcase, the audio information channel device 23 can specify the particularencoding and compression methodology that has been used in the encodingtype field 57 associated with each frame and the sampling rate in thesampling rate field 58. Moreover, since the encoding and compressiontype and sampling rate are specified for each frame, the encoding andcompression type and sampling rate can be changed from frame to frame.The audio information channel device 23 may use different multi-castaddresses for the different encoding and compression types and samplingrates, but it will be appreciated that that would not be required.

It will be appreciated that two advantages of providing that theencoding and compression methodology and the sampling rate is providedon a frame-by-frame basis, instead of on, for example, a track-by-trackbasis, is that that would facilitate a slave device joining thesynchrony group 20 at a frame mid-track, without requiring, for example,the master device 21 or the audio information channel device 23 tonotify it of the encoding and compression methodology or the samplingrate.

Another modification is that, instead of the network communicationsmanager 40 of a member of a synchrony group 20 generating the updatedtime stamp T^(U) _(F) for a digital audio information frame by addingthe time differential value ΔT to the time stamp T_(F) associated with aframe, the network communications manager 40 may instead generate theupdated time stamp T^(U) _(F) by subtracting the differential time valueΔT from the member's current time T_(S) as indicated by the member'sdigital to analog converter clock 34 at the time at which the digitalaudio information is received. It will be appreciated, however, thatthere may be variable time delays in processing of messages by the slavedevice's network communications manager 40, and so it may be preferableto generate the time differential value ΔT using the time stamp T_(F)provided by the audio information channel device 23.

In addition, instead of the network communications manager 40 of amember of a synchrony group generating an updated time stamp to reflectthe difference between the times indicated by the member's digital toanalog converter clock and the audio information channel device'sdigital to analog converter clock, the network communications manager 40can generate the time differential value ΔT and provide it to themember's playback scheduler 32. In that case, the member's networkcommunications manager 40 can store each digital audio information framealong with the time stamp T_(F) as received from the master device inthe audio information buffer 21. The playback scheduler 32 can utilizethe time differential value ΔT, and the time stamps T_(F) associatedwith the digital audio information frames, to determine when therespective digital audio information frames are to be played. Indetermining when a digital audio information frame is to be played, theplayback scheduler can add the time differential value to the time stampT_(F) associated with the digital audio frame, and enable the digitalaudio frame to be coupled to the digital to analog converter 33 when thetime indicated by the sum corresponds to the current time as indicatedby the slave device's digital to analog converter clock 34.Alternatively, when the member's digital to analog converter clock 34updates its current time T_(S), the playback scheduler can generate anupdated current time T′_(S) by subtracting the differential time valueΔT from the current time T_(S), and using the updated current timeT′_(S) to determine when to play a digital audio information frame.

As described above, the members of a synchrony group 20 periodicallyobtain the audio information channel device's current time value anduses the current time value that it receives from the audio informationchannel device to periodically update the time differential value ΔTthat it uses in updating the time stamps associated with the variousframes. It will be appreciated that, if the digital to analog converterclock(s) associated with the member(s) of a synchrony group 20 areensured to have the same rate as the digital to analog converter clock,a member need only obtain the current time value from the audioinformation channel device once, at the beginning of playback.

As another alternative, if the zone players are provided with digital toanalog converter clock 34 whose time and rate can be set by an elementsuch as the network communications manager 40, when a zone player 11(n)is operating as a member of a synchrony group 20, its networkcommunications manager 40 can use the various types of timinginformation that it receives from the audio information channel device23, including the current time information and the playback timinginformation indicated by the time stamps that are associated with thevarious frames 51(f) comprising the audio and playback timinginformation that it receives, to adjust the synchrony group member'sdigital to analog converter clock's time value and/or the clock ratethat it uses for playback. If the clock's time value is to be adjusted,when the synchrony group member's network communications manager 40initially receives the current time information from the audioinformation channel device 23 for the synchrony group 20, the networkcommunications manager 40 can set the synchrony group member's digitalto analog converter clock 34 to the current time value as indicated bythe audio information channel device's current time information. Thenetwork communications manager 40 can set the clock 34 to the currenttime value indicated by the audio information channel device's currenttime information once, or periodically as it receives the current timeinformation.

Alternatively or in addition, the synchrony group member's networkcommunications manager 40 can use one or both of the current timeinformation and/or the playback timing information in the time stampsassociated with the respective frames 51(f) to adjust the clock rate ofthe clock 34 that it uses for playback. For example, when the synchronygroup member's network communications manager 40 receives a frame 51(f_(X)) having a time stamp having a time value T_(f) _(x) , it cangenerate the updated time value T^(U) _(f) _(x) =T_(f) _(x) +ΔT asdescribed above, and store the frame with the time stamp with theupdated time value in the audio information buffer 30. In addition,since both the number of samples in a frame and the sampling rate, whichdetermines the rate at which the frame is to be played, are known to thenetwork communications manager 40, it can use that information, alongwith the updated time value T^(U) _(F) _(X) that is to be used for frame51(f _(X)) to generate an expected updated time value T^(E) _(f) _(X+1)that is expected for the updated time stamp of the next frame 51(f_(X+1)). After the synchrony group member's network communicationsmanager 40 receives the next frame 51(f _(X+1)), it can generate theupdated time value T^(U) _(f) _(X+1) and compare that value to theexpected updated time value T^(E) _(f) _(X+1) . If the two time valuesdo not correspond, or if the difference between them is above a selectedthreshold level, the clock that is used by the audio information channeldevice 23 to generate the time stamps is advancing at a different ratethan the synchrony group member's digital to analog converter clock 34,and so the network communications manager 40 can adjust the rate of thedigital to analog converter clock 34 to approach that of the clock usedby the audio information channel device 23 so that the differential timevalue ΔT is constant. On the other hand, if the two time values docorrespond, then the time differential value ΔT is constant, or thedifference is below a threshold level, and the network communicationsmanager 40 need not change the clock rate of the digital to analogconverter clock 34. It will be appreciated that, if the clock rate is tobe adjusted, the rate adjustment can be fixed, or it can vary based on,for example, the difference between the updated time value T^(U) _(f)_(X+1) and the expected updated time value T^(E) _(f) _(X+1) .

It will also be appreciated that, if no rate adjustment is performed forone frame 51(f _(X+1)), the synchrony group member's networkcommunications manager 40 can generate an expected updated time valueT^(E) _(f) _(X+2) that is expected for the updated time stamp of thenext frame 51(f _(X+2)) using the updated time value T^(U) _(F) _(X)determined for frame 51(f _(X)), along with the number of samples in aframe and the sampling rate, and compare the expected updated time valueT^(E) _(f) _(X+2) to the updated time value T^(U) _(f) _(X+2) that itgenerates when it receives frame 51(f _(X+2)). At that point, if thenetwork communications manager 41 determines that two time values do notcorrespond, or if the difference between them is above a selectedthreshold level, it can adjust the rate of the digital to analogconverter clock 34. Similar operations can be performed if no rateadjustment is performed for several successive frames 51(f _(X+1)), 51(f_(X+2)), . . . . This will accommodate the possibility that the ratedifferential between the clock 34 and the clock used by the audioinformation channel device 23 in generating the time stamps have ratesthat differ by an amount sufficiently small that it cannot be detectedusing time stamps of two or more successive frames.

Instead or in addition to adjusting the clock rate as described above,the synchrony group member's network communications manager 40 canperform similar operations in connection with adjusting the clock ratein connection with the current time information that it receives fromthe audio information channel device 23.

Furthermore, although the network audio system 10 has been describedsuch that the master device 21 of a synchrony group 20 can, in responseto control information provided thereto by a user through the userinterface module 13, provide a notification to a zone player 11(n) thatit is to become a member of its synchrony group 20 as a slave device22(g), it will be appreciated that the user interface module 13 canprovide the notification directly to the zone player 11(n) that is tobecome a member of the synchrony group 20. In that case, the zone player11(n) can notify the master device 21 that it is to become a slavedevice 22(g) in the synchrony group 20, after which the master device 21can provide information regarding the synchrony group 20, including themulti-cast and unicast addresses of the audio information channel deviceand other information as described above.

Similarly, although the network audio system 10 has been described suchthat the master device 21 of a synchrony group 20 can, in response tocontrol information provided thereto by a user through the userinterface module 13, provide a command to a slave device 22(g) to enablethe slave device 22(g) to adjust its volume, it will be appreciated thatthe user interface module 13 can provide control information directly tothe slave device 22(g) to enable the slave device 22(g) to adjust itsvolume.

In addition, although the network audio system 10 has been describedsuch that each frames 51(f) is associated with a frame sequence number(reference field 56, FIG. 4), it will be appreciated that, if thepackets described above in connection with Packet Sequence A and PacketSequence B are provided with packet sequence numbers, the frame sequencenumbers need not be provided, since the packet sequence numbers cansuffice for defining the frame sequencing.

Furthermore, although the network audio system 10 has been describedsuch that the zone players 11(n) are provided with an audio amplifier 35for amplifying the analog signal provided by the respective digital toanalog converters 33, it will be appreciated that a zone player may beprovided that does not itself include an audio amplifier. In that case,the analog signal may be coupled to an external amplifier foramplification as necessary before being provided to the audioreproduction device(s) 15(n)(r). It will be appreciated that a singlezone player 11(n) may be provided with multiple audio amplifiers andaudio reproduction device interfaces, and, if necessary, multipledigital to analog converters 33, to provide audio programs forcorresponding numbers of synchrony groups.

Similarly, although the zone players 11(n) have been described such thatthey may be connected to one or more audio information sources, it willbe appreciated that an audio information source may form part of and beintegrated into a zone player 11(n). For example, a zone player mayinclude a compact disk player, cassette tape player, broadcast radioreceiver, or the like, that has been integrated into it. In addition, asnoted above, an individual zone player 11(n) may be connected tomultiple audio information sources and may contemporaneously operate asthe audio information channel device 23 for multiple synchrony groups.

In addition, although FIG. 1 shows the network audio system 10 asincluding one user interface module 13, it will be appreciated that thesystem 10 may include a plurality of user interface modules. Each userinterface module be useful for controlling all of the zone players asdescribed above, or alternatively one or more of the user interfacemodules may be useful for controlling selected subsets of the zoneplayers.

Moreover, it will be appreciated that, although the invention has beendescribed in connection with audio information, it will be appreciatedthat the invention will find utility in connection with any type ofinformation for which synchrony among devices connected to a network isdesired.

As noted above, while a zone player 11(n) is operating as audioinformation channel device 23 for a synchrony group 20, when the zoneplayer 11(n)'s audio information source interface 30 or networkcommunications manager 40 stores digital audio information frames basedon audio information from an audio information source 14(n)(s) in theaudio information buffer 31, it will provide time stamps for therespective frames to schedule them for playback after some time delayafter they have been buffered in the audio information buffer 31. Thedelay is provided so that, for other zone players 11(n′), 11(n″), . . .that are operating as members of a synchrony group, there will besufficient time for the audio and playback timing information to betransferred over the network 12 to those other zone players 11(n′),11(n″), . . . so that it can be processed and played by them at theappropriate time as described above. The time period that is selectedfor the time delay may be fixed or variable, and in either case may bebased on a number of factors. If the time period selected for the timedelay is fixed, it may be based on, for example, factors such as anestimate of the maximum latency in the network 12, the estimated maximumloading of the various components comprising the zone players 11(n), andother estimates as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

The time delay may be the same for audio information from all types ofaudio information sources, and may be constant over the entire periodthat the synchrony group 20 is playing an audio work. Alternatively,different time delays may be utilized based on various criteria. Forexample, if the audio information is to be played independently ofinformation associated with other types of media, the time delay may beselected to be relatively long, on the order of a significant fractionof a second, or longer. On the other hand, if the audio information isto be played contemporaneously with, for example, video information,which may be supplied by, for example, a video disk, video tapecassette, over cable, satellite, or broadcast television, which may notbe buffered or which may be displayed independently of the network audiosystem 10, it may be undesirable to provide for such a lengthy delay,since the time delay of the audio playback, in relation to the videodisplay, may be noticeable. In that case, the zone player 11(n) mayprovide for a much shorter time delay. In one embodiment, the time delayprovided for audio information to be played concurrently with videoinformation is selected to be generally on the order of fiftymilliseconds, which would barely, if at all, be perceptible to someoneviewing the video. Other desirable time delays for information fromother types of sources will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

As yet a further possibility, the zone player 11(n), when operating asan audio information channel device 23 for a synchrony group 20, candynamically determine the time delay based on a number of conditions inthe network audio system 10, including, for example, the messagetransfer latency in network 12, the loading of microprocessors or othercomponents that are used in the various zone players 11(n′), 11(n″), . .. that may comprise a synchrony group 20, as well as other factors. Forexample, if the audio information channel device 23 determines that thelatency in the network 12 has increased beyond a selected threshold, theaudio information channel device 23 can adjust the delay to increase thelikelihood that the members of the synchrony group 20 will be able toreceive the packets and process the frames so that they will be able toplay them at the appropriate times. Similarly, if the audio informationchannel device 23 is notified that a member of the synchrony group 20 towhich it provides audio information requires additional time to receiveand process the frames that it transmits, the audio information channeldevice 23 can adjust the delay accordingly. It will be appreciated that,to reduce or minimize possible discontinuities in the audio playback bythe members of the synchrony group, the audio information channel device23 can, instead of adjusting the time delay during a particular audiotrack, adjust the time delay between tracks, during silent periods of atrack or otherwise as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.In addition, the audio information channel device 23 can useconventional audio compression methodologies to facilitate a speeding upand/or slowing down of playback of an audio track while it is in theprocess of providing additional time delay. Generally, the members ofthe synchrony group 20 can provide notifications to the audioinformation channel device 23 if they determine that they will need anadditional time delay, and the audio information channel device 23 canadjust the time delay in accordance with the notifications from themembers of the synchrony group 20.

It will be appreciated that a system in accordance with the inventioncan be constructed in whole or in part from special purpose hardware ora general purpose computer system, or any combination thereof, anyportion of which may be controlled by a suitable program. Any programmay in whole or in part comprise part of or be stored on the system in aconventional manner, or it may in whole or in part be provided in to thesystem over a network or other mechanism for transferring information ina conventional manner. In addition, it will be appreciated that thesystem may be operated and/or otherwise controlled by means ofinformation provided by an operator using operator input elements (notshown) which may be connected directly to the system or which maytransfer the information to the system over a network or other mechanismfor transferring information in a conventional manner.

The foregoing description has been limited to a specific embodiment ofthis invention. It will be apparent, however, that various variationsand modifications may be made to the invention, with the attainment ofsome or all of the advantages of the invention. It is the object of theappended claims to cover these and such other variations andmodifications as come within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent ofthe United States is: 1-20. (canceled)
 21. A tangible computer-readablememory having instructions stored thereon that when executed cause afirst zone player to: receive control information from any one of aplurality of user interface modules; based on the received controlinformation enter into a synchrony group with a second zone player; andtransmit status information to at least one of the plurality of userinterface modules, wherein the status information comprises anindication of an operational status of the synchrony group.
 22. Thecomputer-readable memory of claim 21, wherein the status informationfurther comprises an identification of a track currently being played bythe synchrony group.
 23. The computer-readable memory of claim 22,wherein the identification of the track currently being played by thesynchrony group comprises a name of the track currently being played bythe synchrony group.
 24. The computer-readable memory of claim 21,wherein the status information further comprises an identification oftracks scheduled to be played by the synchrony group.
 25. Thecomputer-readable memory of claim 24, wherein the identification of thetracks scheduled to be played by the synchrony group comprises a list ofnames of tracks scheduled to be played by the synchrony group.
 26. Thecomputer-readable memory of claim 21, wherein the status informationfurther comprises an identification of a zone player that is operatingas a master device of the synchrony group.
 27. The computer-readablememory of claim 21, wherein the status information further comprises anidentification of at least one zone player that is operating as a slavedevice of the synchrony group.
 28. A system comprising a plurality ofzone players and a plurality of user interface modules, wherein: each ofthe plurality of user interface modules is operable to provide controlinformation to any one of the plurality of zone players; each of theplurality of zone players is operable to receive control informationfrom any one of the plurality of user interface modules and enter into asynchrony group based on the received control information; and each ofthe plurality of zone players is operable to transmit status informationto at least one of the plurality of zone players, wherein the statusinformation comprises an indication of an operational status of thesynchrony group.
 29. The system of claim 28, wherein each of theplurality of zone players is operable to transmit the status informationwhile it is operating as a master device of the synchrony group.
 30. Thesystem of claim 28, wherein the status information further comprises anidentification of a track currently being played by the synchrony group.31. The system of claim 28, wherein the status information furthercomprises an identification of tracks scheduled to be played by thesynchrony group.
 32. The system of claim 28, wherein the statusinformation further comprises an identification of a zone player of theplurality of zone players that is operating as a master device of thesynchrony group.
 33. The system of claim 28, wherein the statusinformation further comprises an identification of at least one zoneplayer of the plurality of zone players that is operating as a slavedevice of the synchrony group.
 34. In a network comprising a pluralityof user interface modules, and a plurality of zone players including afirst zone player and a second zone player, a method comprising:receiving, at the first zone player, control information from any one ofthe plurality of user interface modules, wherein the control informationinstructs the first zone player to enter into a synchrony group with thesecond zone player; and transmitting, by the first zone player to atleast one of the plurality of user interface modules, statusinformation, wherein the status information comprises an indication ofan operational status of the synchrony group.
 35. The method of claim34, wherein the status information further comprises an identificationof a track currently being played by the synchrony group.
 36. The methodof claim 35, wherein the identification of a track currently beingplayed by the synchrony group further comprises a name of the trackcurrently being played by the synchrony group.
 37. The method of claim34, wherein the status information further comprises an identificationof tracks scheduled to be played by the synchrony group.
 38. The methodof claim 37, wherein the identification of the tracks scheduled to beplayed by the synchrony group comprises a list of names of tracksscheduled to be played by the synchrony group.
 39. The method of claim34, wherein the status information further comprises an identificationof a zone player that is operating as a master device of the synchronygroup.
 40. The method of claim 34, wherein the status informationfurther comprises an identification of at least one zone player that isoperating as a slave device of the synchrony group.